Retailers partner Singapore General Hospital to lend hope and bring help to patients.

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has served Singaporeans from all walks of life for the past 200 years. As the hospital marks its Bicentennial this year, businesses have also stepped forward to join SGH in its mission of caring for its patients.

HAO mart, which operates a chain of supermarket and retail outlets across Singapore, is a new partner.  Through the grocery chain’s “You Shop, We Give” community initiative, HAO mart will donate $1 to the SGH Needy Patients Fund for every 5kg bag of Paddygreen Jasmine Rice sold at their online or retail stores.
 
“We want to provide a meaningful channel for our customers to do good and help those in financial need. In this way, we hope to foster a more gracious society and increase awareness of the support that the SGH Needy Patients Fund provides,” says a HAO mart spokesperson.

Annually, close to 2,000 patients at SGH require assistance for associated costs that are not covered under existing financial schemes. These costs include transportation, interim dialysis, medical equipment and consumables. SGH requires some $1 million in philanthropic support every year to provide patients with urgent interim financial assistance.

One such beneficiary is Mdm Neo who has been battling end-stage renal failure from Lupus for over 20 years. Despite needing dialysis twice a week, she was gainfully employed and was able to manage her medical expenses independently. In 2016 however, her condition worsened just as her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Between managing her illness and caring for her mother, Mdm Neo lost her job. With no other avenue for help, she turned to the medical social workers at SGH who helped her tap on the SGH Needy Patients Fund. The Fund provided her interim support so she could continue with her dialysis treatment and focus on her recovery.

”I am grateful to the donors of the SGH Needy Patients Fund and the medical social workers for helping me pull through a very difficult time," said Mdm Neo who has since returned to the workforce in stable condition.

Another supporter of the SGH Needy Patients Fund is The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Singapore). It came up with an initiative which not only raises funds for needy patients at SGH, but also marks SGH’s 200th year in a special way. The speciality coffee and tea retailer designed and produced a series of SGH200 collectible Cold Cups which is exclusively available at its outlet at SGH Block 4. The company will donate 5% of the gross sales from these collectible cups to the SGH Needy Patients Fund.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to create something special for our healthcare workers, and hence, this collection of Cold Cups with limited edition bear figurines of the Doctor, Nurse and Surgeon,” said Ms Karen Chua, Director of Marketing, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Singapore). “It’s a tribute to the healthcare heroes for pressing on during these difficult times and also a way for our patrons to make a positive impact on the lives of patients in financial need,” she added.
Earlier this year, the company also joined 10 other retailers on SGH Campus to put together the ‘SGH200 Retail Passport’ which offered discounts to all SingHealth staff. The proceeds contributed to the SGH Smart Hospital Innovations and Solutions Fund which enables the development of impactful healthcare solutions that will improve the delivery of care to patients.

The participation of retailers and businesses has made SGH’s Bicentennial celebrations more meaningful and has enabled the hospital to advance efforts in improving patient care, education and research and bring hope to patients and their loved ones.

To find out how you can partner with SGH and make a difference in the lives of patients, contact the SGH Development Office at 6326 6378 / 6326 6728 or email giftstosgh@sgh.com.sg.

To find out how you can support the initiatives of HAO mart and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Singapore), please refer to the posters below:

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