A Friend First

When Thian Yong found out that one of his terminally ill patients’ last wish was to visit Gardens by the Bay with her family, he set out to plan an outing for them. Working with his colleagues from the Chaplaincy Department and Nursing Division, the team made arrangements for the wheelchairbound patient to tour the Gardens with her family of four. That outing became the family’s most memorable outing before she passed on.

Working as a physiotherapist at St Luke’s Hospital has given Thian Yong many opportunities to go the extra mile for his patients. “I want to be more than just a therapist who helps them to walk again,” he says.

When patients are reluctant to participate in therapy sessions, Thian Yong is not one to give up easily. He takes the time to listen to their concerns and finds creative ways to help them. He recounts one instance when an elderly patient was very resistant because he did not like to exercise. Instead of relying on persuasion alone, Thian Yong introduced a different set of exercises that the patient could comfortably incorporate into his daily routine. Over time, the patient regained his mobility and could walk using a walking frame instead of relying on a wheelchair.

A strong advocate for care innovation, Thian Yong trialled the ceiling track harness training for patients. The ceiling track harness supports patients when they are doing walking and balancing exercises. Thian Yong worked with colleagues in the Rehabilitation Division to introduce the harnesses as part of the Hospital’s rehabilitation programme to help patients perform more challenging exercises so that they can regain their confidence, mobility and independence in a shorter time.

In addition to clinical work, Thian Yong devotes his time to education and training. He looks out for juniors who need help and guides them on complex cases. He initiated and assisted with teaching basic anatomy and physiology classes for therapy assistants. These classes were so well-received that requests have been made for the classes to be formally incorporated into their training programme.