New mobile Community Health Centre will benefit patients with diabetes, chronic illness

Diabetes patients in areas like Bishan, Toa Payoh, Hougang and Whampoa no longer need to travel to hospitals or polyclinics for eye and foot screenings.  -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
Diabetes patients in areas like Bishan, Toa Payoh, Hougang and Whampoa no longer need to travel to hospitals or polyclinics for eye and foot screenings.  -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
Diabetes patients in areas like Bishan, Toa Payoh, Hougang and Whampoa no longer need to travel to hospitals or polyclinics for eye and foot screenings.  -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
Diabetes patients in areas like Bishan, Toa Payoh, Hougang and Whampoa no longer need to travel to hospitals or polyclinics for eye and foot screenings. -- ST PHOTO: KASH CHEONG

SINGAPORE - Diabetes patients in areas like Bishan, Toa Payoh, Hougang and Whampoa no longer need to travel to hospitals or polyclinics for eye and foot screenings.

They can now get these services on Singapore's first mobile Community Health Centre (CHC), a mobile clinic on a bus that will travel to HDB blocks and community centres in Singapore's central region.

The service was launched by the National Healthcare Group and the People's Association at a Community Health Carnival on Saturday.

"This will make primary healthcare more easily accessible in the community," Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong said at the launch of the service.

One nurse and one patient service associate will be stationed on the bus to provide diabetic retinal photography, diabetic foot screening and nurse counselling services for other chronic conditions such as hypertension and high cholesterol.

The mobile CHC will support more than 300 general practitioners in central Singapore, who can refer their patients to the service. Results will be sent to the GPs directly.

The service will benefit patients with diabetes foot problems most as they need to travel less, said director of regional health at NHG Pamela Ding.

Services on the mobile CHC will be eligible for Community Health Assist Scheme and Pioneer Generation subsidies. The mobile CHC will also re-visit locations once a month so patients can benefit from follow-up checks. Patients must get a referral letter from their GPs to get check-ups at the mobile CHC.

Currently, those in other regions of Singapore, like Bedok, Tampines, Tiong Bahru and Jurong East already benefit from health screening services at health centres below their HDB blocks.

Patients can check when the new mobile CHC will come to their neighbourhoods at https://corp.nhg.com.sg/RHS/Pages/CHC.aspx

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