The NUS Medical Society brings basic medical services and
informative health education to the general public literally to
their doorstep through the Public Health Screening (PHS), an
annual community service exercise.
In October 2010, more than 2,000 people flocked to the
two-day PHS exercise held at Toa Payoh HDB Hub. Our medical
students from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine joined
hands with nursing students from the Alice Lee Centre for
Nursing Studies to provide free basic health screening services
and medical consultation. Participants answered various health
screening questions and underwent blood pressure and
respiratory function tests. They were also given complimentary
colon cancer screening kits.
The students also advised the participants on the importance
of being proactive in managing their personal health, via
exhibits highlighting prevalent chronic diseases and related
health issues.
Health service: (from left) Lynette Lee, Rayan Mohamed A M Alsuwaigh and
Assoc Prof Hooi Shing Chuan
DESIGNED TO HELP
Seventeen undergraduates from the School of Design and
Environment (SDE) embarked on a 19-day expedition in
May 2011 to extend a helping hand to the poor in a Manila
village. The project, organised in partnership with Philippine-based
poverty alleviation and nation-building body Gawad
Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation, was a
life-changing experience for the team.
At the GK Aya Multi Village in Paranaque City, the
undergraduates helped the villagers to be more self-sufficient
through one of their projects on vertical planting. Expedition
team member Hani Julyani Haizan explained that through
creative vertical planting and landscaping, space was created
for the villagers to plant their own fruits and vegetables,
thereby reducing their food expenditure. Additionally, the
green plantings would provide for an aesthetically pleasing
environment and further mitigate the urban heat island effect.
The SDE team also painted a 150-metre mural, adding
vibrancy to a communal space which serves as an outdoor
classroom where daily art and drama workshops were
conducted for the children, and an activity area where both
children and adults can get together.
