“Trust doesn’t just happen after one visit. You build it by showing up, listening, and treating every person with respect.”
Those are some of the first words Dr Ooi Seong Thean shares when asked about caring for patients from all walks of life. His reply arrives without hesitation, as if the lesson has been lived a thousand times in housing estates, community centres, and workplace health booths.
Singapore’s 60th year finds its healthcare system at a turning point, as it tackles the realities of an ageing population and rising chronic illnesses.
Residents who speak little English, face mobility issues, or fear the cost of treatment often find that community healthcare in Singapore is the bridge to timely care.
And for senior staff nurse Ms Dong Junli, the heart of her work lies in those first, often tentative, steps after a diagnosis.
“Change is a process, not an overnight battle” she tells patients, guiding them to set small goals and celebrate each milestone.
Both serve with SATA CommHealth, a non-profit organisation that has been part of Singapore’s healthcare landscape for 78 years. Their work with programmes like Doctors-On-Wheels and Homecare Medical takes them to rental flats, workplaces, and school halls, places where healthcare is not always within easy reach.
It is in these often-overlooked spaces that Dr Ooi and Ms Dong spend their days, catching illnesses early, guiding people through the first steps of a diagnosis, and offering the steady reassurance that someone is in their corner.
Meeting People Where They Are
“Many of the people I see, especially our elderly or those from less well-off families, haven’t had regular or easy access to healthcare,” says Dr Ooi. “Some never had a family doctor before. For them, language, getting to the clinic, or the cost of treatment have always been hurdles.”
When patients finally arrive at a mobile clinic or community health booth, it is often because symptoms have become too hard to ignore. Dr Ooi believes the real work begins long before any prescription.
The barriers are not always visible. Some patients mention tiredness but hold back from talking about bladder issues. Others avoid discussing mental health or diabetes because these topics remain taboo in their community.
Dr Ooi has learned to notice the pauses, the hesitation, and to gently open the door for these conversations.
Breaking Language Barriers in Healthcare
When patients receive a new diagnosis, the first hurdle is understanding what it all means. Ms Dong has seen the confusion on faces when medical terms feel distant and unfamiliar. “I sit down with them and break down the information in simple terms,” she says.
“I want them to know they’re not alone.”
A clear explanation, paired with steady encouragement, can be as powerful as any prescription. Over time, those moments help patients take ownership of their health, whether it is managing medication, adjusting their diet, or recognising early warning signs.
The Impact of Early Detection and Preventive Care
At a community health screening, many people arrived expecting nothing unusual.
“A lot of people came in thinking, ‘I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong with me,’” says Dr Ooi.
Yet the free checks revealed hidden health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and other conditions that had gone unnoticed.
Some of those patients were not strangers to him. He had treated them years earlier in hospital, and now saw them again through SATA CommHealth’s homecare services.
“Their care may have shifted from hospital to community, but the people haven’t changed, and neither has the need to care for them,” he says.
These experiences have shaped how he sees preventive care. In his early years, it was about finding problems early through tests.
Now, it also means building relationships and helping people take charge of their health before illness takes hold.
Workplace and Community-Based Healthcare as a Lifeline
Not all patients can, or will, make the trip to a hospital. Some find it tiring, others intimidating, and many do not see their symptoms as urgent until it is too late.
That is why Dr Ooi values taking care directly to them.
“With Doctors-On-Wheels, we bring healthcare right to where people are, their workplace, a community centre, or even a rental block,” he says.
These visits go beyond ticking off check-ups. The team talks, listens, explains, and follows up. If other services are needed, they link patients to SATA CommHealth’s network so no one feels left on their own.
For Ms Dong, this proximity allows space for more personal conversations. Whether in a break room at work or under a tent at a community fair, she finds moments to educate and reassure.
“Every interaction matters, it’s not about doing more, but about being present,” she reflects. In those informal settings, patients often feel more at ease to share concerns they might withhold in a formal clinic.
It is the small, everyday interactions, a chat about diet, a nudge to stay active, that leave a mark. Over time, those moments can prevent illness, keep people independent, and show that healthcare does not have to be distant or difficult.
Guiding Patients Through Chronic Illness
The first days after a chronic illness diagnosis can feel overwhelming. Patients are still processing what it means, unsure about what comes next. This is when Ms Dong steps in.
“Guiding someone through the early stages of a chronic illness can be emotional,” she says. “But this is also when we can make the most meaningful impact.”
Her role is to break the journey into manageable steps. She works with patients to set achievable goals, checking in regularly and celebrating progress. “Together, we set realistic goals and celebrate small wins, building their confidence step by step,” she adds.
The work demands patience and empathy. A rushed consultation might give instructions, but Ms Dong knows trust is what turns advice into action.
“Every interaction matters, It’s not about doing more, but about being present.”
Training the Next Generation of Nurses
When Ms Dong mentors younger nurses, she draws on her own early days in the profession.
“My mentor never made me feel small for asking questions. She created a safe, supportive space where learning was encouraged.”
That experience shapes how she teaches today, with openness, patience, and the belief that confidence grows when nurses feel supported.
The pace of nursing can be relentless, with patients waiting and tasks piling up. Yet she urges her trainees to make room for meaningful encounters.
“When we slow down even for a moment, patients can feel it,” she believes. “And we, as nurses, find greater fulfilment in that too.”
Ms Dong doesn’t just measure success in clinical outcomes, but rather in the culture a team builds.
“When nurses feel heard, valued, and connected to something bigger than themselves, that’s real success.”
Building a More Caring Singapore
Neither Dr Ooi nor Ms Dong works in the spotlight. Their days are filled with quiet acts, catching high blood pressure at a mobile clinic, helping a patient apply for subsidies, explaining a diagnosis until it makes sense. These moments rarely make headlines, but they are the threads that hold community healthcare in Singapore together.
As the nation turns 60, their work points to the future: healthcare that reaches people where they are, builds trust over time, and treats patients as partners in their own health.
“It may not be glamorous,” points out Dr Ooi, “but it’s real, and it’s helping to build a more caring, resilient Singapore.”
