​Apart from attending to patients at the clinic or carrying out interventional procedures, Asst Prof Fam Jiang Ming, who juggles his time between NHCS and the Cardiology clinic at Sengkang General Hospital, finds time amidst his tight schedule to support NHCS’ philanthropy efforts.

Among the many hats he wears, the Consultant from the Department of Cardiology is currently the clinician representative of the Cardiovascular Sciences Academic Clinical Programme (CVS ACP) for the SingHealth Duke-NUS Gala, taking place this September. One of the key roles is to garner donations to support research and education activities under the ACP.

Asst Prof Fam is also an appointed member in the NHCS Fundraising Steering Committee, as well as the organising team lead for the NHCS Heart To Heart Gala 2020. He opined that the participation of doctors in philanthropy is increasingly important to help garner resources required for research and education so that more can be done to improve patient care.

Let us hear what the big hearted doctor has to tell us in this issue:

How do you feel about our giving culture?
While the culture of giving has yet to be deeply ingrained in our society, I am sanguine about the potential for a robust giving culture in NHCS. It is important to connect with the donors, explain and even demonstrate to them how their contributions could or have helped make a difference to the lives of patients through clinical care, research or education.

What do you hope to achieve in your roles above?
I feel that it is essential to increase awareness of our fundraising programmes to our staff as well as the community including our patients, existing or potential donors. This could probably be done through different medium – social media or traditional methods. I reckon that there are many who wish to help but might not be aware how to do so. So, perhaps we (being staff of NHCS) can encourage each other to take the first step – that is to be a staff donor; start with making a small donation to the NHCS Heart To Heart fund.

What drives you to give?
Seeing how my contributions could positively impact my patients motivates me to give. The daily interactions with my patients and their families make me realise that more can be done than just treating them but also as a fellow human being looking out for one another. I am grateful for my seniors in NHCS who have inspired me to do more. I am happy to be able to partake in NHCS’ philanthropy efforts and hopefully, be able to build some kind of legacy, and more importantly, help improve patient care.

‘Every bit counts’ – What would you say to others who are hesitant about giving?
“The journey of a thousand mile begins with a single step.”

Asst Prof Fam’s thoughts on transparency in giving is spot on. While the Development team works on bringing you the latest data, you can take a look at FY17’s figures shared here, to understand how much was raised and disbursed.

Have questions? Contact the NHCS Development Team at development@nhcs.com.sg.