HPB Voices Reloaded
March - April 2007
Voices welcomes our new staff into the HPB family
Jump to: Maaran Balakrishnan| Er Ming Hung | Michelle Marie Lee
Introducing Maaran Balakrishnan (Prog Outreach/YHD)...
I am a keen outdoor sports enthusiast and I like travelling and meeting people. I am also an avid soccer player and jogging enthusiast. In my previous workplace, I was appointed a Health Facilitator and was an advocator for "Healthy Lifestyle" at the workplace. Working with youths and dealing with youth issues and concerns has always been a passion for me and hence my interest in wanting to join the Youth Health Division in HPB. I think that health promotion issues are important because "Health is Wealth". We need to take care of our body - ie. good eating habits & healthy lifestyle choices; so that our body in turn can take care of us. Hence, I believe in the work that HPB does.
Prior to joining HPB, I was working at the National Youth Council and Outward Bound Singapore. My new colleagues in HPB are a great and fun bunch of people and I am learning much from them. I am enthusiastic to contribute towards HPB's vision of building "a nation of fit and healthy Singaporeans", by reaching out to youths in Singapore.
Introducing Er Ming Hung (Physical Activity/AHD)...
I graduated from the National University of Singapore last year, majoring in Geography. I joined HPB because I think engaging Singaporeans to take up more physical activity for health reasons is a challenging job. This is more important especially with the busy modern urban lifestyles we have now. Also, I believe that HPB will provide plenty of opportunities for my personal growth and career development.
My current hobby is just jogging. This is perhaps due to my “addiction” to jogging, which is both good and bad at the same time. The mileage clocked is helping me keep the flabs away but killing my knees at the same time. BUT I'm very glad that HPB has a running club that let me participate in long distance races at discounted rates! (or even free.) My colleagues here are nice, friendly and smart people and I look forward to working with them to promote “healthy living for all Singaporeans.
Introducing Michelle Marie Lee (Smoking Control/AHD)...
Michelle is the newest member of the Smoking Control team in the Adult Health Division. Having helped people in England, her native land, to quit smoking for the past few years, she moved to Singapore and promptly joined HPB. Now she no longer deals with people directly, but works behind-the-scenes to provide services that doctors, nurses and pharmacists can use to support those who are trying to give up smoking.
As far as HPB is concerned, Michelle is very much the model employee. In addition to her desire to spend the next few years improving the services that HPB provides, her lifestyle embodies the four pillars of health. She doesn’t smoke, naturally, and professes to enjoy jogging, working out and eating healthily. What is most impressive is how she keeps her mind healthy.
Michelle goes through life with a positive attitude and embraces change. Confessing to having only a positive view on things, she’s found it easy to adapt to life in Singapore and even enjoys the weather. As for change, she likes working in a stimulating environment with lots of variety, such as HPB. She’s also very fond of travelling, having travelled for a year before coming to Singapore, and she hopes to travel around the region, with Cambodia as her next destination. It has been said that the only thing constant in life is change. If that is true, then Michelle is well-prepared to take life in hand.