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Dr Fong Kenneth Leopold

Dr Fong Kenneth Leopold

​MBBS(Singapore), Dip. Av. Med.(UK), MS (Aerospace Medicine)

Senior Consultant

Changi General Hospital

Specialty: Occupational Medicine

Sub-specialties: Aviation Medicine

Clinical Appointments

  • Senior Consultant General Medicine Changi General HospitalChangi General Hospital
  • Senior Consultant Singapore Changi Aeromedical Centre Changi General HospitalChangi General Hospital

Academic Appointments

  • Chairman, JCST Examination Committee for Aviation Medicine

Profile

Dr Fong is a Senior Consultant with the Department of General Medicine at Changi General Hospital (CGH). Dr Fong graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1984 and served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force from 1985 to 2007.  He was sent for the Royal Air Force Diploma in Aviation Medicine Course in 1988, returning with the Dip Av Med(UK) and the Harrison Trophy for Achievement in Aviation Medicine. Due to his interest in Aviation Medicine, Dr Fong was subsequently sent for the Wright State University Aerospace Medicine Residency Programme in 1991 and became the first RSAF doctor to obtain an MSc in Aerospace Medicine in 1992.

Dr Fong held various appointments in his career in the SAF, including the head of the RSAF Aeromedical Centre, the Senior Medical Officer (Health Care) of HQ Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps and the Commander of the Singapore Armed Forces Military Medical Institute. He was also involved in the development of many new areas for the SAF, including the Aviation Physiology and the High G Training programme for the RSAF, the development of the new Aeromedical Centre Building, the commercialisation of selected medical services of the RSAF Aeromedical Centre, the establishment of the Human Science Research Office for the SAF and the development and consolidation of the Military Medical Institute for the Singapore Armed Forces.

After retirement from military service in 2007, Dr Fong joined ST Medical Services as the Medical Director (Education) in charge of Aviation Physiology Training for the Singapore Aeromedical Centre until 2023. Dr. Fong's interest lies mainly in the development and training of aircrew, to be aware and to be able to cope with and manage the in-flight physiological demands of high-performance flight, maximising flight safety and performance.

Education

  • Master of Science, Aerospace Medicine (Wright State University, Dayton Ohio) 1992
  • Diploma in Aviation Medicine (Royal College of Physicians of London) 1988
  • MBBS (National University of Singapore) 1984

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

  • Senior Consultant, Department of General Medicine, Changi General Hospital: 2023 – Present
  • Senior Consultant and Medical Director (Education), Singapore Aeromedical Centre, ST Healthcare Pte Ltd:  2007 – 2023
  • Visiting Consultant to the Singapore Armed Forces:  2013-2018
  • Senior Medical Officer (Health Care) / Commander Military Medical Institute, HQ SAF Medical Corps:  2004 – 2007
  • Division Manager (Human Sciences), Directorate of Research and Development, Defence Science and Technology Agency:  2003 – 2004
  • Head RSAF Aeromedical Centre:  1998 – 2003
  • SAF Consultant in Aviation Medicine:  1997
  • Medical Assessor, Civil Aviation Medical Board (1988 – current)
  • Branch Head in the RSAF Aeromedical Centre:  1990 - 1998

Awards

  • SAF Long Service Award (20 years), 2006
  • SAF Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (20 years), 2006
  • National Day Commendation Medal (Military), 2002
  • SAF Long Service Award (15 years), 2001
  • SAF Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (12 years), 1996
  • SAF Long Service Award (10 years), 1995
  • SAF Overseas Service Medal (Operational), 1993
  • SAF Good Service Medal, 1990
  • Barbara Harrison Trophy for Achievement in Aviation Medicine, 1988
  • SAF Post Graduate Scholarship (Medical), 1988

Research Interests

  • Aviation Physiology, in particular in Acceleration Physiology, Spatial Disorientation and Motion Sickness
  • Simulator sickness - An RSAF experience (KL Fong, A Vaz) – Presented at the 10th Asia Pacific Military Medicine Conference, 7-12 May 2000, Singapore
  • Protection against raised +Gz forces in advanced High-Performance Aircraft (KL Fong) – Paper presented at the Medical Technology Seminar, Defence Technology Group Technology Seminar Series, 93-94, 16 Mar 1993, Singapore

Publications

  • Gan WH, Lam PM, Chong CH, Tan BCB, Fong KL, Tan HYR:  Pneumomediastinum Diagnosed by Chest Radiography After Centrifuge Training - Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, Volume 79, Number 4, April , 2008 , pp. 424-428(5)
  • KL Fong, SW Fan:  An overview of the Physiological Effects of Sustained High +Gz Forces on a Human Being  - Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 1997; Vol 26, No 1 (Jan): 94-103.
  • Kenneth L. Fong:  Maximising +Gz Tolerance in Pilots of High Performance Combat Aircraft.  USAF Armstrong Laboratories technical report AL-SR-1993-001, December 1992.

Research Trials

  • To test and evaluate the high altitude physiology protection systems for an attempted manned balloon flight past the Armstrong Line by a Singaporean vehicle (2017 - 2019).
  • To assess the efficacy of a biosensor monitoring system in a high altitude environment (2018)
  • To assess and develop a Fatigue Risk Management System for port workers and to study the impact of fatigue on the situational awareness of night shift workers (2012 – 2013)