Over 500 guests attended the third National Heart Centre Singapore’s (NHCS) “Heart To Heart Gala 2018” on 5 October 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, which raised S$2,038,250 for its “Heart To Heart Fund”.
5 October – Over 500 guests attended the third National Heart Centre Singapore’s (NHCS) “Heart To Heart Gala 2018” on 5 October 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, which raised S$2,038,250 for its “Heart To Heart Fund” to support financially needy heart patients; patients who require novel treatment when they are unable to undergo the conventional therapy; cardiovascular research, and the education and training of cardiac healthcare professionals.
This year’s Gala is themed “An Odyssey of Discovery and Hope” and this aptly depicts our journey of discovery for innovative treatment, though fraught with challenges but ultimately bringing hope to our heart patients.
This year’s fundraising Gala held special significance for NHCS as it celebrates 20 years of providing quality healthcare to improve the lives of cardiac patients. For the first time, the Gala partnered renowned Michelin Starred chefs Julien Royer (of Odette), Cheung Siu Kong (of Summer Pavilion, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore), Beppe De Vito (of Braci), Jean-Georges Vongerichten (of Jean-Georges New York), culinary genius Melina Yong and wine connoisseur Dr N K Yong who collectively curated an exquisite five-course fine-dining menu for the guests.
The event kicked off with an upbeat dance performance by the students of “Dance Company and Danz Inc.” from Nanyang Polytechnic. Titled “Fear”, the dance encapsulated the positive message of hope and how we are all capable of overcoming fear and not let it hinder our journey in life.
Another highlight of the Gala was the auction of two pieces of exquisite ink paintings and one piece of muddled calligraphy donated by 98-year-old artist, Mr Lim Tze Peng, who is also Singapore’s most significant living artist around.
There was a cheque presentation to the Gala’s Guest-of-Honour, Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Finance by Mr Steven Yen, Non-Executive Chairman of the New Toyo International Holdings Limited whose $1 million gift will be used to establish an endowed Cardiovascular Research and Education Fund which will help advance the research and education initiatives of NHCS. At the same time, Mr Heng also launched the NHCS Council of Patrons to give recognition to donors who have given transformative gifts to NHCS Heart To Heart Fund. The Patrons are Mr Goh Cheng Liang from the Goh Foundation, Dr Lee Seng Tee from the Lee Foundation, Mr Sukanto Tanoto from the Tanoto Foundation, Dr Charles Toh from Charles Toh Clinic, and Mr Steven Yen from New Toyo International Holdings Limited.
The philanthropic support from these Patrons, who share NHCS’ commitment to advancing cardiovascular health together, has enabled the Centre to continually strive for better patient care in various ways. These include the establishment of a Professorship, funding of research and education initiatives including a research project to understand the progression of cardiovascular disease in Singaporeans and Asians to predict cardiac risks and develop pre-emptive treatment strategies for those who are in the high-risk group. These gifts are instrumental to NHCS’ philanthropic endeavours to achieve its goal of continually enhancing patient care and impacting heart patients’ lives.
“Each year, about 17.5 million1 people die from cardiovascular disease around the world, making it the biggest killer globally. The disease burden of cardiovascular disease in Singapore and around the world will only increase over time,” said Professor Terrance Chua, Medical Director, NHCS. He continued, “Alongside cardiovascular research to find ways to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease, the education and training of our cardiac professionals will enhance the translation of such research to innovative and improved treatments. Such a synergistic approach will lead to care that will impact health outcomes and transform the lives of our heart patients. Every amount of donation will certainly boost NHCS’ fundraising endeavours.”
Members of the public who wish to know more about the ‘NHCS Heart To Heart Fund’ may visit the NHCS website www.nhcs.com.sg or email to
development@nhcs.com.sg.
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About NHCS Heart To Heart Fund
Established in 2010, the ‘NHCS Heart To Heart Fund’ has three objectives:
Provide aid to financially needy heart patients
For most patients, heart disease is a lifelong condition that requires medication, implanted devices or a combination of both, to sustain their lives. Part of the Fund serves to assist financially needy patients who have exhausted all other sources of financial aid.
Helping patients gain access to novel treatments
When conventional treatment is considered too high a risk for certain groups of patients, their only option is to undergo novel treatments which comes at hefty costs. The Fund will alleviate the financial burdens for such patients and ensure that they have access to this treatment in a timely manner.
Support programmes that will bring about improved patient outcomes
These programmes include critical research in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, and the introduction of new treatment modalities. Research takes time and resources to translate these discoveries to personalised drug therapies for patients to improve treatments or even reverse their conditions through early intervention, leading to more affordable care.
Sustain medical excellence through training and education
NHCS believes in the effective training of future generations of healthcare professionals. This way, valuable skills and knowledge are passed down from mentor to student and translated into better patient care.
About NHCS
The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is a 185-bed national and regional referral centre for cardiovascular diseases. A one-stop facility with the largest heart specialists group in Singapore, NHCS treats complex cases and sees the highest volume of heart patients locally.
Each year, the Centre handles over 120,000 outpatient consultations, 6,000 interventional and surgical procedures and 9,000 inpatients. Its outcomes for heart attack treatment, balloon angioplasty with stenting and coronary bypass surgery have been shown to be equivalent to international standards.
A pioneer and leader in cardiovascular care in Singapore and the region, NHCS is the first specialty heart centre in Singapore.
