For many patients, stepping into a hospital for a medical procedure requires a lot of trust on their part — trust that they will be in the good hands of the hospital staff and the institution. At CGH, we have taken steps to ensure that patients receive safe care, including providing an environment that is clean and free from infection. Learn how a special group of healthcare staff work to ensure all medical instruments are safe for use (page 8).

Good communication is vital not just in delivering appropriate care, but also in building relationships. As part of our efforts to better involve patients in their care, we have updated our i-COMM app to improve communication with patients who converse primarily in dialects (page 12).

If you find that your loved one is suddenly unwell and behaving erratically, this could be due to delirium. Find out more about this condition on page 4.

In this issue, we’re introducing a new column by the Eastern Community Health Outreach (ECHO) team. We discuss hypertension, a chronic disease that is now affecting an increasing number of younger people (page 18). CGH’s ECHO team is regularly out on the ground, conducting health screenings in communities in the east of Singapore, so look out for upcoming screenings in your area.

Lastly, don’t forget to participate in our reader survey on page 17. Let us know what you think so that we can better bring you stories you will want to read and share.

Till the next issue!