​Over the years, the enhancements made to cardiac screening have enabled the SAF to actively enhance the overall cardiac fitness of the armed forces.   

The SAF Cardiac Fitness Centre (SCFC) is latest of their efforts, centralising specialised cardiac screening tests in one dedicated centre at NHCS.   

Professor Terrance Chua, Medical Director of the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), has been personally involved in the SAF's continuing effort.  

"I first came to hear more of the SAF’s efforts to protect our soldiers’ heart health in 2007, when I was asked to join into the SAF’s cardiac screening advisory panel with a group of experts from several public hospitals," he revealed.  

Since then, NHCS and SAF have been partnering to review and enhance the way heart fitness screening is done, combining a robust screening programme with a new medical knowledge and technological advances.  

Located within the new 12-storey NHCS building, the SCFC provides a one-stop facility that serves pre-enlistees, SAF regulars and SAF operationally ready national servicemen who have been referred to by SAF medical officers.  

The centralisation of specialised cardiac screening tests enables the SAF to shorten turn-around time and determine pre-enlistees' medical classification, as well as servicemen's medical fitness for operational and physical training.  

Said Rear-Admiral (DR) Kan Wee Lee, SAF’s Chief of Medical Corp, “With all cardiac screening being centralised at a single dedicated centre, the SAF will be able to better collate and study the cardiovascular risk profile of our pre-enlistees and servicemen.

“We will continue to work closely with our cardiology counterparts at NHCS to leverage the latest screening modalities and best medical practices. This ensures that the SAF cardiac screening protocols remain robust and relevant.”