Voices Reloaded

My most memorable events in HPB

The restructuring of the Health Promotion Division of the Ministry of Health to form a statutory board (the Health Promotion Board) was a very memorable learning experience for me. In addition to the responsibility of setting up various administrative systems (e.g. HR, finance, etc) I also had to manage the concern of our staff regarding the unknown. The restructuring brought about much apprehension among the staff, as they were concerned about possible changes to their terms of employment as well as benefits. As the CEO-designate of the new Board, I held many meetings among the staff to assuage their anxiety. This interaction with the staff gave me the opportunity to get to know them and has brought me great satisfaction.

1 Apr 2001 is a date carved deeply in my memory. It is the day Health Promotion Board was officially formed, the official date I hold office as the CEO of this Board.

Many other activities held in conjunction with the inauguration of the board were also especially meaningful for me:

Last lap
I completed the last
lap of the race...

Dr Lam lighting the flame
and lighted the “flame”, just like in the Olympics,
which is meant to signify goodwill and
harmony and hence unity among the staff.

A relay was held where staff and Divisional Directors were involved in a relay run at Garden Terrace, passing the HPB torch among them, all the way to Pearl’s Hill and then back.

The official opening of HPB with Minister for Health as Guest of Honour has a special place in my heart too.

Dr Lam and the Choir

It was a moment of pride to see the HPB Choir singing in their resplendent black gowns with blue, green and red scarves, which represent the corporate colours of HPB.

The National Breast Cancer Screening Launch on 17 Jan 2002 is an unforgettable event. It is an unusual launch event which was not held at the regular exhibition venues. A concert by Frances Yip was held for the Launch, at Neptune Theatre.

She is a breast cancer survivor and is thus a good choice to be our icon bearing the message that early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Women aged 50-64 were urged to call our HealthLine to make an appointment for mammography. A one time promotional $20 off the normal rate of $50 was offered. This coupled with our mass media education and good media coverage of the launch engendered such an overwhelming response. It resulted in our BreastScreen Call Centre lines being jammed... We had to work quickly to add more phone lines and manpower to ensure that we could cope with the huge demand and maintain a good standard of service to the public.

Another memorable event was the announcement of the National Health Survey (2004). The Survey has shown positive results of our various health promotion programmes and is a very good farewell present for me as this shows that we have climbed one step higher in achieving our vision of “Building a Nation of Healthy and Fit Singaporeans”.

The Three Things I can’t wait to do when I retire.

i) Read.

I love to read, yet I can’t seem to find the time for it. My books are lying on the shelves untouched. The books I will read as soon as I can are on the history of China, Chinese culture as well as jade.

I am also waiting to finish the Biography of William Wordsworth, a great poet (1770-1850), who started the English Romantic Movement with his Lyrical Ballads.

One good book I have read is “Wild Swans” by Jung Chang.

It is very inspiring to read how the author and her family went through the communist rule (under Chairman Mao Tse-Tung) and how the political scene affected her family. It is a story of courage and indomitable spirit.

ii) I would also love to attend concerts, piano recitals, muscials and ballets to feed my soul.

iii) Most importantly I would like to spend time with my family.

What I Will Miss Most in HPB?

I will miss all of you in HPB.

All the staff have been very supportive and have put in great efforts for Health Promotion and achieved good results as shown in the National Health Survey 2004.

I will miss the mental stimulation and the adrenaline rush at work.

I will also miss all the events organised by HPB and also my line dancing class.

Here are Some Words of Inspiration for You

“Work as a Team”
“Give of Your Best”
“Seize every opportunity that comes your way to realise your dream.”

The Inspirational Figures in My Life…

1) There are many who have inspired me, my parents and also my teachers at the Good Shepherd Convent and Marymount Convent who were strict and yet very caring. They have helped to mould my character.

2) The three other persons that I want to mention are:

i) Dr Irene Pakshong, my boss, when I was working with the Maternal and Child Health Service (MOH). She has a sharp mind and is very analytical. She speaks and writes very well and has taught me the skills of writing papers, including reports and proposals.

ii) Dr Chen Ai Ju, my boss, the Deputy Director of Medical Services, Primary Health Division (MOH) and later the Director of Medical Services. She is an expert in public health and she taught me to look at issues broadly and see things from different perspectives.

iii) Mr Wong Yew Meng, our Chairman of the Board. He is very passionate about health promotion and walks the talk. He has given me a lot of guidance and the perspective from the private sector.

Parting Words…

I would like to thank all staff for your dedication and hard work in conceptualising, planning and implementing health promotion programmes and helping Singaporeans to achieve good health.

Finally, I urge everyone to give your support to the new CEO, Mr Lam Pin Woon. There is a lot more work to do to improve the health of Singaporeans.

Dr Lam presented with token of appreciation
Dr Lam is presented with a token of appreciation
from Voices Reloaded writer, Cheryl Goh (RDD, M&C).

Thank you, Dr Lam!

Next: Read our interview with Mr Lam!