Singapore Patient Support Group and Volunteer Group Award is Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore).

Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore) TIMA was nominated by Ren Ci Hospital to receive the "Singapore Patient Support Group / Volunteer Group Award" at the 9th Singapore Patient Action Awards for its years of dedication to dental visits.

Ren Ci Hospital, Senior Nurse Manager, Ariva: Residents here in Ren Ci are mostly wheelchair or bedbound. Getting the dental service at the bedside or at the nursing home is quite expensive, especially the residents at nursing home are (from) low income group. It was very blessed that the regular dental checkups and the treatment provided by Tzu Chi helps to give residents much better quality of life. 

Since 2014, TIMA has been visiting Ren Ci Hospital and its nursing homes to provide dental check-ups and care for the mobility-impaired residents.

Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), TIMA Dentist, Dr. Tang Kok Weng: They have to go to the dentist, and that process is not simple. It requires doctor’s approval. After that approval, transportation has to be arranged. Relieving suffering and giving joy is our speciality. We remove the patient's painful teeth and give him a little bit of peace. That is the joy we can give him.

The monthly visits is a commitment of the TIMA to the patients. During COVID-19, the dental visits were temporarily halted due to precautionary measures. However, once the precautionary measures were lifted, the dental visits resumed as soon as possible.

Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), TIMA Dentist, Dr. Tang Kok Weng

We should not let go of what we are supposed to do. We should not be deterred by any difficulties, and we should do it persistently. In the future, we hope to expand this service to more nursing homes.

CEO of Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), Low Swee Seh: They have been able to persevere for so many years to take their time off to safeguard health, life and love, and to give with this spirit of great love. And we also (hope) to be keep this spirit alive.

Prioritising the well-being of patients, 24 individuals and organisations were awarded this year for their contributions to health care and social care. All doing their part to care for the community in their respective fields.