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Catering to the many dimensions of well-being

Allied Health and Pharmacy (AH&P) professionals at CGH share about the multi-faceted contributions they make to the lives of patients.

By Ms Belinda Wan, CGH
 


Principal Clinical Pharmacist Dr Karmen Quek enjoys the constant learning that her job provides.

Dispensing Care and Knowledge

Principal Clinical Pharmacist Dr Karmen Quek finds fulfilment in broadening her clinical expertise to improve patient care.

“Not many people realise that pharmacists work in the wards too. Our inpatient pharmacy operates 24/7, and I join the doctors for ward rounds in the mornings,” shares Principal Clinical Pharmacist Dr Karmen Quek.

Dr Quek, who joined CGH a decade ago, works at the hospital’s general medicine wards. She carries out medication reconciliation for admitted patients to compare their hospital medications with those that they were taking prior to admission, assesses new medication orders for efficacy and safety, and conducts patient reviews. “This helps prevent the omission of important medications that are not captured in the system, as well as the use of incompatible medications,” she explains.


Dr Quek ensures that medication prescribed for patients is appropriate and effective.
  

A passion for learning

Dr Quek grew up in a household with a keen interest in health matters, and the various medications and supplements her family members took piqued her curiosity. Pursuing studies in pharmacy was thus a “natural progression,” with an MOH Holdings Healthcare Merit Scholarship enabling her studies in Australia and broadening her worldview.

Eager to deepen her clinical expertise, Dr Quek then enrolled in a two-year Doctor of Pharmacy programme. The programme comprised studies at the National University of Singapore, and rotations in other local hospitals, as well as those in the United States. “I wanted to learn from the very best in the pharmacy community to broaden my knowledge and better care for patients,” she recalls.



Advancing as a team

Upon her return after her studies in 2019, Dr Quek’s then-department head suggested that she specialise in the renal discipline, a role she was keen to take up. Starting off with daily morning rounds with the renal doctors in the wards, Dr Quek eventually expanded and set up a new service with her colleague — a pharmacist-run clinic for stable haemodialysis patients. “Over the years, our role as pharmacists has evolved with the advent of automation in various aspects, such as in medication packing and medication delivery,” she reflects. “It has enabled us to focus on clinical pursuits to manage patients with complex needs, for example, through these pharmacist-run clinics.”

The CGH pharmacy team has pioneered innovations to streamline work processes and optimise patient outcomes, such as the Inpatient and Outpatient Pharmacy Automation Systems for medication packing at the hospital’s wards and outpatient clinics, as well as the Pharmacy Smart Interface System (PharmaSIS), Singapore’s first smart prescription-medicine dispensing vending machine located at CGH’s Medical Centre.


The Inpatient Pharmacy Automation System (IPAS) is used by Dr Quek’s team to transport medication to hospital wards.

Broadening her horizons

Dr Quek’s drive to raise medication literacy among the community and pursue continuous learning is evident. During the Zika outbreak, she represented CGH on a TV programme to share the pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods the public could take to prevent mosquito bites.

Her stint at the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore’s hospital chapter further expanded her knowledge of best practices, which have elevated her daily work. “I find the areas where we need to exercise clinical judgement most challenging, but interesting because there is a limit to how much textbooks can teach us,” explains Dr Quek. “The learning never ends, and I love it.”


Putting His Best Foot Forward

Senior Podiatrist Eric Huynh derives satisfaction from helping his patients return to their daily activities.


A love for sports and interest in lower limb sports injuries shaped Senior Podiatrist Eric Huynh’s career.

“Most people tend to think that podiatrists just provide simple foot care,” says Eric Huynh, a Senior Podiatrist at CGH. And his 15-year-old self may have agreed with this notion. But when he sustained a football injury that year, his initial scepticism that a podiatrist could help changed following the podiatrist’s assessment of his foot biomechanics. “It was interesting to see how the injury resulted in my symptoms,” recalls Mr Huynh, a keen sportsman.

Mr Huynh, who had sustained and witnessed injuries in the lower limb while playing, subsequently developed an interest in lower limb sports injuries and decided to specialise in podiatry. He graduated with a Bachelor of Podiatry degree from Australia’s Latrobe University and spent five years in public healthcare in Australia. Following that, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he worked with the National Health Service.
 

Venturing further afield

The time spent in the United Kingdom exposed Mr Huynh to a range of specialist clinics such as nail surgery and musculoskeletal clinics. He also found himself working at a clinic two minutes away from Arsenal Football Club’s home ground. There, Mr Huynh — himself a Liverpool fan — would occasionally treat young academy players for painful ingrown nails.

Eventually, Mr Huynh landed on a specialty in podiatry biomechanics, sporting injuries and rehabilitation-related fields. “I enjoy understanding the patient’s history, activity profile and how their pre-existing biomechanics may predispose them to certain lower limb and foot conditions,” he shares. “The tailored nature of rehabilitation through education and patient goals is satisfying when you see the improvement in symptoms and patients return to activities, which also brings relief to their mental and physical well-being.”
 

Striving for better patient outcomes

In 2019, Mr Huynh joined the CGH Podiatry team. Along with his team and other colleagues, they work to provide holistic, multi-disciplinary care for foot conditions at the hospital’s various clinics. This includes caring for patients with high-risk foot wounds through wound management, wound offloading, orthotics and advice on footwear. They also provide routine foot care to prevent re-ulceration, and assess and manage foot and ankle musculoskeletal conditions.

Occasionally, Mr Huynh faces difficult requests and complex cases. “It is important to remember that we are in a privileged position to help others,” he reflects. “We cannot always control circumstances — the key is to act on what you can control.”

As a testament to the impactful initiatives he rolls out with his team, Mr Huynh was awarded the Singapore Health Quality Service Star Award last year. “The award reaffirms our efforts as healthcare professionals,” he says. “This encourages me to always put my best foot forward for our patients.”

But beyond accolades, what he finds most fulfilling is seeing his patients recover and regain their confidence. “Watching patients return to activities that they enjoy keeps me going,” he shares.


Setting His Mind to Help Others

Senior Clinical Psychologist Sudev Suthendran champions inclusivity, diversity and growth.


Senior Clinical Psychologist Sudev Suthendran enjoys working with patients to help them address their psychological challenges.

An avid reader, Sudev Suthendran took interest in works about the human psyche as a student. He realised that the diverse and dynamic field of Clinical Psychology could fulfil his desire to deepen his understanding of the human condition. But what ultimately attracted him to this discipline was its ability to make a difference in people’s lives through evidence-based methods. “I have always been inclined towards the helping professions and wanted a specialist role with skills that would make my work impactful,” explains Mr Sudev, a Senior Clinical Psychologist at CGH.
 

Connecting the dots

Believing in the importance of clinical psychology in contributing to health and overall well-being, Mr Sudev decided to take up a role in public healthcare to expand his skill sets in the profession, and joined CGH in 2019.

At CGH, Mr Sudev conducts psychological and behavioural health assessments and interventions — sometimes collaborating with colleagues across a broad range of specialties from General Surgery to Geriatric Medicine — to provide holistic care. “Patients may sometimes have psychological issues that exacerbate their physical health conditions,” he explains. “Psychological input helps fellow professionals respond to patients’ needs more specifically and optimally, enhancing patient care.”

An example, he shares, is obesity, which has largely been treated from a medical perspective in Singapore. The psychological aspects of the condition are often downplayed. To raise awareness, Mr Sudev was a speaker at Obesity, Bariatric & Endocrine Societies’ conference for three consecutive years.

Describing his colleagues as compassionate and nurturing, Mr Sudev says, “Working in an environment that aligns with my values inspires me to keep going. No two workdays are the same; I learn a lot from my patients too. There is space for curiosity, creativity, connection, growth and hope every day.”

On hand to help

In March 2020, Mr Sudev was deployed as a swabber at migrant worker dormitories to support COVID-19 efforts. The experience gave him a better appreciation of the contextual, systemic and societal factors that can affect mental health — and the importance of addressing them for well-being. Mr Sudev also supports individuals with gender dysphoria — unease that may arise when one’s biological sex does not match gender identity — aligning with his values of inclusivity and equitable access to psychological support.

With a drive to do more for mental health and raise awareness of psychology-related issues, Mr Sudev — in addition to speaking at conferences — contributes to mental health education. He does so by working with community partners and other professionals to raise awareness and enhance public mental health. “Our psychiatrists from the adolescent psychology team collaborate with, and educate teachers, counsellors and students on mental health topics, to systematically enhance youth mental health,” he shares.

Mr Sudev advocates for equitable mental health care, explaining that it significantly impacts one’s overall well-being. He hopes to draw more awareness on mental health issues. “Mental health is a collective effort — it is everyone’s business,” he says.