Dear Reader,

A

year ago, life as we knew it was turned upside-down with the arrival of the coronavirus and the disease that it caused. More than 1.8 million people have been killed by COVID-19, and 80 million around the world were sickened, many requiring hospitalisation.

Fortunately, as 2020 drew to a close, hope dawned on the horizon with news of vaccines being approved and vaccinations commencing in various countries. In Singapore, the government has started encouraging vaccination for first responders and healthcare workers, as well as people who are exposed and vulnerable to COVID-19 even as the country moves to relax rules governing gatherings. Vigilance against the virus remains high however, though we can begin to look forward to a more normal way of life.

Here at NUS Medicine, we rode the roller coaster of events through the long months along with the rest of the country. To the credit of the School, the initial shock and bewilderment gave way quickly to acceptance and then a resolution to adapt our teaching and research work to the new realities.

I salute our staff for the way they rose to the challenge. In the face of the unknown, colleagues adjusted routines to fit the new normal and strove to make the best out of every situation. Our scientific people contributed their expertise to the search for COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines and organised weekly webinars to share information about the enemy. Our executives and administrators developed illustrated strips on COVID-19 for public education, while others stepped bravely and selflessly into the unknown, volunteering to serve on the frontlines during the peak of the pandemic.

But the NUS Medicine family is more than just the people who teach, learn and work here. It also comprises our donors, who through their generosity enables so much of what we do, as well as the nearly 20,000 alumni. Many of them have steadfastly supported their alma mater and contributed over the years to the School’s growth and development. Some go further. The late Dr Freda Paul Malliamalar (Class of 1954) was an outstanding paediatrician and teacher. When she passed away in 2016, she bequeathed part of her estate to the NUS medical school in support of underprivileged women medical students. Said Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, who is one of her estate’s executors, “I am delighted that Dr Paul’s life and career will now be honoured by this significant bequest to NUS Medicine, as she had wanted.”

In a year in which so much has been lost, we only need to look carefully to see what has endured, and appreciate their priceless worth. Consider the Class of 2020. They graduated quietly, without pomp and fanfare, and were required to start work early to help lessen the pressure on our healthcare system—something they did so with distinction.

The year 2020 will, for a long time, be seared onto our memories as the year of mask-wearing, frequent handwashing, and social distancing. For the School, it will be remembered as the year of rapid adjustments, perseverance and triumph as we improvised, adapted and continued with our mission of educating and training future generations of healthcare professionals. In a year of deeply unsettling challenges posed by COVID-19, I am proud of the resounding answers that our staff and students provided to the existential questions posed by the virus.

Yours sincerely,

Chong Yap Seng