SINGAPORE: The Singapore Heart Foundation plans to open its fourth wellness centre in Bedok by the end of next year, as part of efforts to combat cardiovascular disease and ease the strain of an ageing population.
The leading social service agency for heart health currently has three branches in Bishan, Bukit Batok and Bugis.
These centres provide equipment and expertise to help patients maintain healthy habits and manage their risk factors.
The new centre in the east will allow the agency to support more patients, said Singapore Heart Foundation CEO Geoffrey Ong.
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“We know there are clients there, and some of them find it daunting to travel all the way down to the central or even to the west of Singapore for rehabilitation,” he told CNA.
The agency is also partnering with organisations such as Sport Singapore to bring its services closer to both existing and potential clients, he added.
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in Singapore, accounting for about one in three deaths.
While this proportion has declined slightly in recent years, the pace of improvement has been gradual.
From 2021 to 2024, the share of deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease fell from around 32 per cent to about 30.5 per cent.
Still, more can be done, stressed Mr Ong, adding that the agency aims to continue raising awareness of heart health.
It has expanded its outreach programmes, including teaching children as young as five how to respond in a cardiac emergency.
Children are taught what blood pressure is, how to read and take measurements, and how to recognise cardiovascular diseases.
Mr Ong added that the foundation also loans blood pressure monitors to these children so they can take the devices home to demonstrate to their parents and grandparents.
“We find that that is very powerful, which is why we want to start educating the young as soon as possible,” he said.
“Hopefully that will start them thinking to inculcate healthier habits as they grow up.”
From recognising the signs of cardiac arrest to calling 995 and alerting an adult, these efforts are part of a broader plan to grow the foundation’s pool of emergency responders.
“At that age, we don't expect them to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). But we want them to realise that actually a lot of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, and it can happen to anyone,” said Mr Ong.
“So, we want to teach them and educate them how to react in such a situation.”
In the interview, Mr Ong called for more volunteers who can step in during emergencies, as well as donations to sustain initiatives focused on prevention and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
“We want to train as many people as possible to be first responders, to know how to respond, how to react, and how to support this group of people,” he said.
He shared that the foundation is reaching out to institutes of higher learning and corporates with its Restart A Heart programme, a simplified CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training course that equips laypersons with essential lifesaving skills.
It is also working with partners such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force, St John Singapore and the Singapore Red Cross to ensure more Singaporeans know how to respond in a cardiac emergency.
Drawing from his two decades in the finance and banking sector, Mr Ong noted that many people “spend days and nights just focusing on the business and the numbers” while paying insufficient attention to their health, particularly heart health.
However, the measures also come with their own set of challenges.
Mr Ong said there is a common misconception that the Singapore Heart Foundation is funded by the government, when in fact it relies largely on donations.
He explained that 99 per cent of its activities and subsidies for clients are supported by donations, which makes funding a key challenge.
“With the right level of financial support, we can do more, we can expand, we can reach out and we help more,” he added.
He also emphasised the importance of taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease: “I find that when … people start early (with prevention), they live a healthier life. Then we can actually reduce the country's health cost burden in the long run.”
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The leading social service agency for heart health currently has three branches in Bishan, Bukit Batok and Bugis.
These centres provide equipment and expertise to help patients maintain healthy habits and manage their risk factors.
The new centre in the east will allow the agency to support more patients, said Singapore Heart Foundation CEO Geoffrey Ong.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
“We know there are clients there, and some of them find it daunting to travel all the way down to the central or even to the west of Singapore for rehabilitation,” he told CNA.
The agency is also partnering with organisations such as Sport Singapore to bring its services closer to both existing and potential clients, he added.
RAISING AWARENESS OF HEART HEALTH
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in Singapore, accounting for about one in three deaths.
While this proportion has declined slightly in recent years, the pace of improvement has been gradual.
From 2021 to 2024, the share of deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease fell from around 32 per cent to about 30.5 per cent.
Still, more can be done, stressed Mr Ong, adding that the agency aims to continue raising awareness of heart health.
It has expanded its outreach programmes, including teaching children as young as five how to respond in a cardiac emergency.
Children are taught what blood pressure is, how to read and take measurements, and how to recognise cardiovascular diseases.
Mr Ong added that the foundation also loans blood pressure monitors to these children so they can take the devices home to demonstrate to their parents and grandparents.
“We find that that is very powerful, which is why we want to start educating the young as soon as possible,” he said.
“Hopefully that will start them thinking to inculcate healthier habits as they grow up.”
From recognising the signs of cardiac arrest to calling 995 and alerting an adult, these efforts are part of a broader plan to grow the foundation’s pool of emergency responders.
“At that age, we don't expect them to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). But we want them to realise that actually a lot of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, and it can happen to anyone,” said Mr Ong.
“So, we want to teach them and educate them how to react in such a situation.”
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SUSTAINING LIFESAVING EFFORTS
In the interview, Mr Ong called for more volunteers who can step in during emergencies, as well as donations to sustain initiatives focused on prevention and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
“We want to train as many people as possible to be first responders, to know how to respond, how to react, and how to support this group of people,” he said.
He shared that the foundation is reaching out to institutes of higher learning and corporates with its Restart A Heart programme, a simplified CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training course that equips laypersons with essential lifesaving skills.
It is also working with partners such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force, St John Singapore and the Singapore Red Cross to ensure more Singaporeans know how to respond in a cardiac emergency.
Drawing from his two decades in the finance and banking sector, Mr Ong noted that many people “spend days and nights just focusing on the business and the numbers” while paying insufficient attention to their health, particularly heart health.
However, the measures also come with their own set of challenges.
Mr Ong said there is a common misconception that the Singapore Heart Foundation is funded by the government, when in fact it relies largely on donations.
He explained that 99 per cent of its activities and subsidies for clients are supported by donations, which makes funding a key challenge.
“With the right level of financial support, we can do more, we can expand, we can reach out and we help more,” he added.
He also emphasised the importance of taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease: “I find that when … people start early (with prevention), they live a healthier life. Then we can actually reduce the country's health cost burden in the long run.”
Continue reading...