INDUSTRY UPDATE
SNEC & SERI Launch Heroes Fund to Strengthen Defense Against Future Epidemics
I
t’s clear that COVID-19 has had
evolving needs of our patients, health care
training and upgrading of skills — ensuring
devastating consequences worldwide
providers and research teams, especially
that these healthcare heroes can complete
— industries across every sector have
during this period of enormous change
their training and acquire the skills needed to
been impacted, including ophthalmology.
and uncertainty,” said Adjunct Associate
treat increasingly complex eye diseases, and
Therefore, in an effort to deal with the
Professor Ho Ching Lin, Director of
thus giving patients a better quality of life.
ongoing crisis, and strengthen Singapore’s
Philanthropy, SNEC. “While COVID-19
defense against future epidemics, the
remains, there are many patients who are
Speaking on the Heroes Fund, Professor
Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)
also suffering from eye diseases that may
Wong Tien Yin, Medical Director at SNEC
and the Singapore Eye Research Institute
lead to vision loss. This is why it is critical
said: “We must continue to be forward-
(SERI) have launched the Heroes Fund.
that we focus on new ways to approach the
looking and future ready. COVID-19
This campaign aims to raise $1 million by
crisis and with better preparedness. The
has presented us with an opportunity to
January 31, 2021.
funds will greatly enable us to improve on
innovate and better equip ourselves to
our clinical care processes and to develop
face what is ahead of us. Therefore, it
cutting-edge research as we move forward.”
is imperative to continue to channel our
The campaign is named for SNEC and SERI’s frontline medical workers; funds will
efforts to upgrade our existing model of
support the Centre’s healthcare workforce
New models of care, like using technology
care, develop cost-effective treatments and
by providing them with the latest training,
to conduct tele-consultations for glaucoma
create breakthroughs in the research for
tools, innovation and methods of care in
patients, are already in place at SNEC.
COVID-19.”
ophthalmology. This includes redefining
The Centre has also implemented a home
clinical care to meet the urgent needs of
monitoring service in an effort to decrease
The Heroes Fund is part of the VisionSave
patients; driving cutting-edge research to
non-essential visits and proactively detect
campaign, a philanthropic drive spearheaded
keep COVID-19 at bay; and maximizing
those who may experience severe visual
by SNEC and SERI. Corporate, personal, or
healthcare knowledge for a future-ready
symptoms and prevent blindness.
anonymous donations can be made to the
frontline workforce. “We recognize the urgency to meet the
Heroes Fund by visiting the online campaign Funds raised will also help to develop
website at www.giving.sg/shf-snec-fund/
e-learning programs to facilitate undisrupted
heroes-fund.
| June/July 2020
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