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Home > About TTSH > News > Building a Community of Carers: Eight recipients lauded for unwavering dedication and exemplary contributions towards patient care

​Singapore, 6 November 2020 – The annual Singapore Patient Action Awards (SPAA) honour exemplary patient caregivers, volunteers and advocates, patient support and volunteer groups and health and social care professionals for their exemplary qualities of compassion, empathy, resilience and generosity of spirit.

This year’s awards, the sixth edition since its inception was marked with a new category, the Singapore Community Engagement Initiative Award which seeks to recognise activated individuals who have initiated successful neighbourhood-based projects that contributed significantly to the improvement of care and overall well-being of residents in the neighbourhood or local community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all award recipients were celebrated through a special video showcase that premiered today at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH) first ever virtual Singapore Patient Conference (SPC) 2020 on 6 November 2020.

There are five award categories:

The new Singapore Community Engagement Initiative Award recognises members from the community who lead by example and take ownership to care for themselves and others, displaying strong spirit of neighbourliness as a community of carers.


Peer Support Leaders (PSLs) are members of the community that were identified and trained by TTSH Health Coaches, to support community wellness outreach and health related initiatives. They organise and conduct interactive activities in Senior 2
Activity Centres such as exercise and cooking sessions with the aim of encouraging residents in the community to lead more active and healthier lifestyles.

Adopting a ‘For Seniors, by Seniors’ approach, the PSLs are able to better connect, listen and engage with their peers living within the same neighbourhoods by leading in wellness activities. The 28 PSLs have been empowering seniors to take better charge of their health and physical across neighbourhoods in Central Health.

The Singapore Patient Caregiver Award honours caregivers for their strength, resilience, and unwavering dedication in caring for their loved ones amid health and/or social care challenges.


Ms Victoria Jane Quek became her late mother’s sole caregiver at a young age of 14 years old in 2017. As the eldest child of the family, she was a strong pillar of support and hope for her mother and younger sisters through her caregiving responsibilities. She also fulfilled the role of a decision-maker and a spokesperson when her late mother was too weak and delirious from end-stage renal failure. When her mother’s condition took a turn for the worse, Victoria made a tough decision to stop schooling to be a full-time caregiver for her mother. Though it was not an easy journey, Victoria persevered and for three years, she self-studied during the periods where her mother was away for her dialysis. Her mother passed on in November 2019. Inspired by the nurses who cared for her late mother, Victoria is currently enrolled in a nursing course at the Institute of Technical Education. She has found her calling through caregiving and would like to touch the lives of others in future.

Mdm Ang Swee Huay is living proof that a mother’s love knows no boundaries. At the age of 92 years old, she is a cancer survivor who is also overcoming the odds against dementia. She is the sole caregiver to her two children in their 50s. Her daughter has polio and depression, and was diagnosed with schizophrenia since his teenage years. Refusing to give up on her children, she sought help to make arrangement for their long-term care needs which led her to St. Andrew’s Nursing Home (Taman Jurong). Despite grappling with her health condition, she finds strength each day to care for them.

Mr Nicholas Sim is the primary caregiver to his wife who was diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia since 2012. Driven by his duty as her husband and love for his wife, Nicholas made the painful decision of closing his business to become a freelance 3
lecturer so that he could be the primary caregiver for his wife. Nicholas finds greater happiness in helping others find their own happiness amidst adversities. He actively partners with organisations such as the National Neuroscience Institution to reach out to new caregivers caring for patients with young onset dementia. Nicholas hopes that by sharing his experiences, he is able to shorten their learning curve and ease their burden as caregivers.

The Singapore Patient Advocate Award recognises individuals who are passionate about advocating for meaningful causes, and have contributed significantly towards improving care delivery in partnership with a health and/or social care team or institution.


Ms Deborah Seah is a strong advocate for mental wellness, having grappled with anxiety and bipolar disorder in 2013. She experienced the power of peer support in her own recovery and used her lived experience to mentor learners in a Peer Support Specialist Programme by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Seeing the value of peer support in the recovery journey, she initiated a Community of Peer Support Specialists to provide a network for certified Peer Support Specialists to share resources relevant to mental health recovery. She also volunteers as a peer support group facilitator at Psalt Care Ltd and she is an ambassador for the anti-stigma campaign – Beyond the Label.

The Singapore Patient Support / Volunteer Group Award celebrates outstanding patient support or volunteer groups that have led the way in helping others in need, and have contributed significantly to improving health and/or social care delivery and services.


Dover Park Hospice (DPH) Opal Group is a dedicated team of 20 volunteers who use massage therapy to bring relief to soothe the pain and aches of inpatients at Dover Park Hospice. Consisting of a group of trained masseurs, DPH Opal Group volunteers would befriend the patients and offer massage services to ensure patients are able to relax and rest better. Connecting with patients through touch therapy has also overcome language barriers and given patients a sense of dignity, assurance and comfort. The volunteers meet every Saturday since 2013. The volunteers have attended courses to improve their skills and existing volunteers offer peer-to-peer training to ensure sustainability of this programme. The group also works closely with the medical and nursing team as patient safety is of top priority.

The Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Singapore Support Group was first established in 2004, with the aim to provide emotional and psychosocial support to patients who are battling PH, a rare and progressive condition which affects the lungs. Since then, the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) has taken the lead to organise and hold various PH patient support group activities. The regular support group events help create greater awareness among patients and caregivers on the management of PH, through sharing sessions from group members and educational talks by various NHCS healthcare professionals. Over the years, the support group that comprises like-minded PH patients like patient activist Mdm Haslina Wannor and their families, rally together with healthcare professionals to organise interactive activities for the group, including chair yoga exercise and a flower arrangement session. In conjunction with the World Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness month in November, the group also runs an annual ‘Blue Lips Campaign’ to create awareness for PH in Singapore.

The Singapore Patient Engagement Initiative Award pays tribute to collaborative health and/or social care projects or initiatives with the health care team, intermediate and long-term care teams and/or social service agency. These projects and initiatives contribute to the improvement of care and overall health and wellbeing of patients, caregivers, and/or the community.


Temasek Foundation – Centre for Health Activation Mobilises Para-Clinical Seniors (CHAMPS) Inpatient Total Knee Replacement (TKR) Programme is a para-clinical programme that empowers former TKR patients to assist patients who have just underwent TKR surgery with their rehabilitative bed exercises.

Started since October 2018, 16 active volunteers have been trained and they have completed 104 exercise sessions and benefited 69 TKR patients. The programme has been well-received by patients, saying they can do the exercises with confidence and found that the program had benefitted them.

Building a Community of Carers

Singapore Patient Conference 2020 (SPC) is an annual patient-centred conference organised by TTSH’s Centre for Health Activation, in partnership with Central Health, National Healthcare Group, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Institute of Mental Health and Yishun Health. In its eighth year, the SPC is a dedicated co-learning and sharing platform for patients, caregivers, volunteers, community partners and health and social care professionals.

This year, the conference will be held online with a host of engagement activities branded as ‘Build a Kampung Campaign’ which kicked off with a series of fringe events from 4 September and culminated with plenary presentations on 6 November 2020. The activities were centred on building an activated community of carers, from encouraging neighbours to share heart-warming stories, sharing tips on how to lead a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise and interactive activities such as cooking, exercising and crafting activities hosted ‘live’ via the conference’s Facebook page. Participants from these Kampung activities stood a chance to win vouchers and winners were announced on 6 November 2020 at ‘Kampung Central’.

Through active online engagement, senior-friendly activities and panel discussions, SPC 2020 brought participants from across the care spectrum together to share their journeys and spark new ideas in strengthening bonds in the community despite limitations from COVID-19.

"This year, we aim to shine the spotlight on efforts that have helped to join up care between the hospital and community; help participants build skills and competencies to take charge of their health and we will celebrate many of the unsung heroes who have made significant strides in bridging health and social care," said Dr Tjan Soon Yin, Co-chair of the SPC 2020 Organising Committee, Head of Department and Senior Consultant, Rehabilitation Medicine, TTSH.

"COVID-19 has changed our interactions with other patients… and technology has now allowed us to provide care anytime, anywhere. Through ‘Build-a-Kampung campaign’, we would like to encourage stories of ground-up initiatives which have made a positive impact in neighbourhoods. These stories will be a source of inspiration and strength to motivate others to spread the goodwill," said Mr Jasfer Chwa, Co-chair of the SPC Organising Committee, who is also a patient & volunteer with the TTSH Spinal Support Group.


About the Centre for Health Activation

Launched in 2017, TTSH’s Centre for Health Activation (CHA) was set up to focus on Activation, Research and Training – also known as the ART of CHA. Its vision is to drive activation and build One Community of Carers (i.e. patients, caregivers, volunteers, health and social care partners) who are equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to self-care and care for their loved ones and others in the community. CHA currently has 33 programmes within the hospital and community, and more than 500 volunteers. Within the hospital, the Temasek Foundation – CHAMPS (Centre for Health Activation Mobilises Para-clinical Seniors) programme trains senior volunteers in para-clinical skills to enhance care for frail senior patients. Out in the community, the CHArge Up! Learning Programme trains volunteer carers in para-clinical skills and knowledge, empowering them to extend the reach of TTSH’s Community Health Teams.

Recipients of 2020 Singapore Patient Action Awards

Award Description 2020 Awardees
Singapore Community Engagement Initiative Award (Team-Based) This award honours the work of successful neighbourhood-based initiatives that have contributed significantly to the improvement of care and overall well-being of residents and the local community/ neighbourhood. 1. Peer Support Leaders (PSLs)
Singapore Patient Caregiver Award (Individual) This award honours the caregiver who has demonstrated strength, resilience and unwavering dedication in caring for another person who requires support in physical/mental/social well-being, amidst health and/or social care challenges.

2. Mdm Ang Swee Huay
3. Mr Nicholas Sim
4. Ms Victoria Jane Quek

Singapore Patient Advocate Award (Individual) This award honours an individual who is very passionate about advocating meaningful causes and has contributed significantly to improving care delivery in partnership with the health and/or social care team/institution. 5. Ms Deborah Seah
Singapore Patient Support Group / Volunteer Group Award (Group) This award honours an outstanding Patient Support Group or Volunteer Group that has led the way in helping others in need and has contributed significantly

6. Dover Park Hospice (DPH) Opal Group
7. Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Support Group
















2022/08/03
Last Updated on