Last year, Dr Wong was a jury member on the design panel for the President’s Design Award 2023, organised by DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Most recently, she was picked to be part of Dsg’s People of Design campaign, which honours everyday folks who are making an impact on society through design or design thinking.
THE HEALING POWER OF ART
Well before the first national masterplan was rolled out in 2012, Dr Wong was already making efforts to provide comprehensive care for older patients.
In 2006, she launched the HEaling ARTS or HEARTS Programme at Alexandra Hospital, which included art activities such as finger painting, calligraphy and Chinese brush painting. This was done in collaboration with Dr Tan Ching Yam, an artist and educator, who volunteered his time and expertise.
The idea was to use art intervention to add meaning to patients’ lives, getting them integrated into the community.
Dr Wong emphasised a holistic approach. “You can’t just treat disability or wish away chronic disease,” she said. “You need to find ways to relate to the patient’s mind, body and spirit, and help him or her to live a ‘normal’ life of sufficient meaning.”
The programme yielded tangible benefits, with patients’ artworks used on the hospital’s greeting cards and corporate gifts. More importantly, there was a positive impact on the patients, with families reporting that they were calmer.
SUPPORTING SENIORS AT HOME
A few years later, Dr Wong launched the Ageing-In-Place (AIP) Programme at KTPH in response to the overwhelming number of admissions at the A&E.
The programme was based on a study of 400 patients who were warded at least three times in six months. Those without adequate home or community support were more likely to fall into a downward spiral of repeat hospital visits.
AIP involves healthcare teams – comprising doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacists and medical social workers – who visit patients after they leave the hospital, providing not just medical care but also assessing the environment they live in.
