Hearts Aligned For A Gift Of Hope
NUHCS 15th Anniversary Charity Golf & Dinner Event 2023
PULSE Issue 42 | February 2024
Everyone deserves a chance in rebuilding a healthier, better tomorrow. In commemoration of National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS)’ 15th Anniversary, the inaugural Charity Golf and Dinner Event was held on 7 July 2023, with more than S$1.2 million raised in support of financially disadvantaged
heart patients on their journey towards greater heart health, and a hopeful future. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Singapore, with almost 1 in 3 deaths caused by heart diseases or stroke in 2022. In view of the increasing number of people suffering from heart disease every year, NUHCS was established in 2008 to bring together specialty resources, expertise and capabilities for the treatment of the most complex heart, lung and circulatory diseases.
For the
NUHCS 15th Anniversary Charity Golf & Dinner event, it was an honour to have President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, then Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, gracing the dinner. Emphasising the key takeaway of this fundraising event, Mr Tharman highlighted that Singapore must never become a welfare state but it can be a welfare society responsible for the wellbeing of others, quoting the NUHCS Heart Fund as an example through which one can play a part in taking care of one another’s quality of life.
This event saw a great turnout with more than 250 distinguished guests including former MP Lee Bee Wah, esteemed golfers and major donors, who came together to build the national centre’s ongoing efforts in meeting Singapore’s growing healthcare needs. Beneficiaries of the NUHCS Heart Fund were also invited to the dinner gathering, which served as an opportunity for them to meet donors of the fund in person.
Mdm Ina (not her real name) – one of the many beneficiaries present at the event, was able to convey her appreciation to donors of the NUHCS Heart Fund, who played a part in giving her a new lease of life through their generous contributions. First diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) during her pregnancy 17 years ago, Mdm Ina was very grateful for the financial support from the NUHCS Heart Fund. The assistance that she received has significantly subsidised her medical treatment costs, bringing a peace of mind to her and her family as she is able to continue receiving long term care for her heart condition. Mr Ong Yew Lee, who was also invited as a beneficiary of the NUHCS Heart Fund, suffered from a narrow heart valve that required surgical procedures to treat. This placed a huge financial burden on Mr Ong as he only had sufficient savings for his everyday living needs. Being afraid that he would not be able to afford his treatment procedures, the monetary aid provided to Mr Ong through the NUHCS Heart Fund, rendered hope and assurance to him throughout the process. With the help of donors to the NUHCS Heart Fund, Mr Ong’s financial worry has since been resolved and he is currently on the road to recovery.
This event also intended to express NUHCS’ commitment in enhancing patient care within the community by spotlighting on the centre’s collaboration with General Practitioners (GPs) as part of Healthier SG, to set up community cardiology clinics in the heartland. This initiative was put into action with the establishment of the NUHCS Heart Clinic @ Jurong Medical Centre (JMC), Singapore’s first specialty cardiology clinic in the community. With hopes to improve the heart health of the community as the population ages, A/Prof James Yip conveyed NUHCS’ strive to foster stronger ties with community partners and enhance accessibility and convenience for more effective patient treatment.
