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december
2004
11
www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge
Public Service for the 21st Century
Leveraging on IT for
positive results
Check out these infocomm innovations
that are delighting customers!
10
Have your say for the
Marina basin!
4
The wonderful world
of MIW
14
Superb time-saver gets
thumbs up
16
1
Challenge is published monthly by the PS21 Office, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division),
The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-02, Singapore 179434. Tel: 6835 8345 • Fax: 6333 4010
Email: [email protected] • Website: www.ps21.gov.sg
Editor: Yee Wei Zhen, PS21 Office Editorial Advisors: Boo Chong Han and Tan Chee Seng, PS21 Office
Editorial Team: Pauline Mah, Organisational Review Committee • Josie Kang, Quality Service Committee •
Cheryl Lee, Staff Well Being Functional Committee • Inthira Mailvaganam, PS21 Office Publishing Consultant:
Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd Printed in Singapore: Utopia Press Pte Ltd
VOLUME TEN ISSUE ELEVEN
We would like to hear your views and suggestions on the cover story,
“Infocomm innovators in the limelight”. Please write to the Editor of Challenge at
PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-02, Singapore 179434, fax to
6333 4010 or email to [email protected] . Give your name, ministry,
ministry address and telephone number. Published contributions will receive an
exclusive gift from the PS21 Office.
VIEWPOINT
december
“In times of rapid change, experience could be your
greatest enemy.” — John Paul Getty
2004
CONTENTS
3 A LINE FOR YOU
Be the best of whatever you are
4 WHAT’S HOT
Have your say for the bay!
Make learning a way of life
Devoted mum learns English
She simply enjoys learning
He’s fully certified!
Learning — the fun and enjoyable way!
8 AT THE MINISTRIES
Drawing future fliers and saving the drips win awards
10 COVER STORY
Infocomm innovators in the limelight
JTC transforms its approach to business
NHG heart doctors provide enhanced patient care
SingHealth’s one-stop system for medical records
14 INNOVATION IN ACTION
The wonderful world of MIW
MIW — an international innovations award finalist
16 AT YOUR SERVICE
Superb time-saver gets thumbs up
17 STAFF MATTERS
Get great deals with The Family Card!
18 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PUBLIC OFFICER
A foodie at work
19 HEALTHY BODY, ACTIVE MIND
AIDS — 20 years on
20 CHALLENGE QUIZ
“The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read
or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and
re-learn.” — Alvin Toffler
A
2
BE THE BEST OF
2
WHATEVER YOU ARE
2
A
2
A
F
B E
2
F
2
2
We come to the end of a year and start of a new one.
Let us not get stuck in the past. Life should be lived looking forward.
2
But how shall we live for the future?
Allow me to share a poem by Douglas Malloch, who lived from 1877 to 1938. He
used some words we do not normally use. But let us not be bothered by them.
Instead, look for the important message.
If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley — but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.
2
2
2
If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway happier make;
If you can’t be a muskie then just be a bass —
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew, 2
There’s something for all of us here,
2 to do,
There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser
2
And the task you must do is the near.
2
D E
A/
F2
D
2
2
E
2
2
2
E
2
F
D
2
2
2
2
If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can’t be the sun be a star;
It isn’t by size that you win or you fail —
Be the best of whatever you are!
Notes: A pine is a tree; a scrub is a shrub or bush; a rill is a small stream;
a muskie is a large fish; a bass is a much smaller fish.
Did you notice the most important point? “It isn’t by size that you win or you fail
— Be the best of whatever you are!”
Douglas Malloch has also said, “We all dream of great deeds and high positions….
Yet success is… being the best that is in you.… Make the most of what you have and
are… Do the thing near at hand, and great things will come to your hand to be done.”
Perhaps not all of us may agree with Malloch. But it does no harm to think about
what he said. His advice is to pay attention to what we each have to do, and to do
the best we can.
Excellence is to be the best that we can be, and to do the best we can.
I wish you and your family a New Year filled with progress, much happiness and
good health.
Lim Siong Guan Head, Civil Service
What’s Hot
4
Have your say
for the bay!
When the Marina Barrage is constructed, the
inland reservoir will become an exciting lifestyle
destination.
First, imagine a future downtown water park,
where the vigorous paddling of rowers, breezy
water sails and the sudden whizzing past of
water-skiers are a daily reality. And all this
takes place against the backdrop of a modern
tidal barrier on one side and the city skyline
on the other. Now, you can have a say in the
planning and design of this water park!
M
r Thoo Jung Chee, an engineer with
the Public Utilities Board (PUB)
and member of the Marina Barrage
project team, explains the rationale.
“We really want the public to contribute to
the use of the new basin,” he says.
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
Playground of the future
The Marina Barrage is a tidal and flood control
barrier that will be constructed across the mouth
of the Marina channel to the tune of $226 million.
When it is ready by end-2007, it will turn the
waters of the Marina basin into an inland reservoir,
which can then be used for water sports and
performance events, as well as all sorts of water
recreation activities.
To encourage community involvement, PUB
has formed a team to consult with its “3P partners”
— the people, private, public sectors — to elicit
advice, ideas and suggestions for all the possible
activities and offerings that this new “three-inone” playground can host.
“It is an initiative that will add to Singapore’s
water supply, reduce flooding and increase our
quality of life,” explains Mr Thoo.
Send
in you
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the M
s on h
arina
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inform 84 6600. F
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www.
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pub.g
ov.sg/ isit
marin
abarr
age.
Everyone has a say
He adds: “This is a wonderful resource for the
nation and it is important that our people have a
strong sense of ownership and shared
responsibility for this project and our environment
as a whole.”
PUB has started talks with other public
agencies like the Urban Redevelopment Authority,
Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Sports Council
and People’s Association. It will soon involve
private sector companies like water tour operators
and event organisers, as well as those from the
people sector, such as professional organisations,
non-government organisations and recreational
associations.
An avid in-line skater, Mr Thoo is counting
down to the day when he will be wheeling away
beside the Marina Reservoir, with the city skyline
as his stage set.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project and I am
just so thrilled to be part of it,” he enthuses.
This article was first published in Milieu.
To subscribe or to download Milieu, visit
www.mewr.gov.sg/milieu.
THE MARINA BARRAGE
CHALLENGE
The challenge of making the Marina
Reservoir a truly vibrant lifestyle destination
is set to be as remarkable as the mechanics
of the Barrage itself.
A series of steel gates will allow the
discharge of excess water into the sea when
inland water levels are high. High capacity
pumps will pump excess water into the sea
when tides are high.
The resulting calm waters will make
the place ideal for recreational water
sports and leisure pursuits including
international water sports competitions
such as F1 Power Boat Grand Prix;
recreational water sports such as
canoeing, kayaking, sailing, water-skiing
and windsurfing; and outdoor concerts,
dance parties and arts and cultural
performances by the shore.
0 4
What’s Hot
5
Make learning a
way of life
SLF 2004 reinforced the call for Singaporeans to
learn new skills.
ingaporeans must take responsibility for
their own learning and career planning.
To stay employed, they must upgrade
themselves, urged Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien
Loong.
“Learning must go beyond schools, and take
place at the workplace, and even at home,” he
said at the opening of the Singapore Learning
Festival (SLF) 2004, which was held from 5
November to 4 December.
SLF is the anchor event of the Singapore
Learning Promotion initiative launched in 2000.
The theme of SLF 2004 was “Learn New Skills.
Create Your Own Opportunities”. A wide range of
S
activities including a Learning Fair at Suntec
Convention Hall and a Learning Fest at Orchard
were organised. There was also a learning tree
where employees could demonstrate their
commitment to learning by writing down a new
skill they had learnt on one of its leaves.
One event highlight was the Employability
Skills test, which enabled workers to analyse their
employability skills and learn more about training
programmes they could take to increase their
effectiveness at work and remain employable.
Information guides like the Annual
JobseekersGuides, Quaterly Jobs Watch and
Labour Market 2004 Report were launched to
provide workers with timely information on the
employment market. These aids offer practical
advice, information on the new labour market
and insights on making informed choices for their
skills training and career.
Another highlight was the giving of the Lifelong
Learner 2004 Awards to 16 workers who “have
overcome career setbacks, learnt new skills and
found new jobs”, as PM Lee put it. (Read the following
stories about three of these inspiring winners.)
Devoted mum learns English
“
es. No. Come here. Go there.” These were
about the only words Saniah Binte Haji
Abdullah knew before she started taking Basic
Education for Skills Training (BEST) at the Institute
of Technical Education to improve her English.
The divorced mother of three had received only
primary school education in a Malay school as a child.
A housewife before she returned to the
workforce after a 10-year gap, she realised the
importance of having a grasp of the language when
she started working as a library assistant with the
National Library Board. At work, she had to assist
customers who did not know where to find certain
library books or how to pay library fines.
Now, not only is she conversant in the
language, the once computer-illiterate can surf
the Internet. She has also attended many
enrichment programmes organised by the library.
To say that Saniah has put in a lot of hard
work to learn the language is an understatement
Y
when one charts her
learning journey.
She had failed her
BEST 1 — equivalent to
Primary Three English —
six times before finally
passing.
“It was very hard
and very difficult for me
Saniah receiving her
to learn,” the 42-yearaward from PM Lee.
old recounted. Her
daughter was a constant source of
encouragement, nudging her to try again when
she failed.
Saniah has since passed her BEST 4, or Primary
Six English, and has moved on to take up
Secondary One English.
She is determined to carry on her learning
journey. Her motivation is to provide a comfortable
life for her children now.
What’s Hot
6
She simply enjoys learning
aadiah Binte Osman is determined to get a
Bachelor of Science in Accounting and
Finance from the University of London.
Even if it means surviving on only two to three
hours of sleep per day.
Once an O-level candidate who failed all her
subjects, Saadiah has come a long way.
She realised the importance of upgrading
herself when she started working as a production
operator in an American computer printer
company in 1992. Then, she only had an O-level
certificate — obtained after her second try.
“I was assembling computer printer parts and
had to carry heavy equipment. It was hard work
and I realised I needed to upgrade to have better
job prospects,” explained the 32-year-old.
Since she joined the Housing and
Development Board in 1996, she has never
stopped learning. To date, the administration
assistant has got a certificate in business
administration, a diploma in management
accounting and finance, and an advanced diploma
in business administration.
Now she is juggling her bachelor’s course with
work, attending three classes per week.
She said candidly: “I’m not the brilliant type. I
need to put in a lot of effort. Sometimes I sleep for
S
Saadiah is motivated to get her degree in
accounting and finance.
two to three hours a day because I have to do a lot
of assignments and readings.”
Her family and friends continually spur her to
push the boundaries. Her greatest motivation is
her mother, who passed away one week before
her O-level exams. It was her mother’s wish then
for her to get a diploma. Sixteen years have passed
since and Saadiah’s academic achievements have
surpassed her mum’s expectation. Her mother’s
wish — still freshly etched in her mind — gives
her the strength to study for her degree now.
Saadiah has also attended IT courses in
Webpage design and PC maintenance. Colleagues
sometimes run to her when they encounter
computer glitches or problems at work.
Happy to be of help, she said: “I enjoy learning
and acquiring new skills so I can contribute more
to my organisation.”
He’s fully certified!
magine having over
80 certificates and
diplomas, ranging from
certificates in architecture technician to
one in advanced project
management.
This is exactly what
Jackson Chang has
accumulated over
I
Jackson has over 80
certificates and
diplomas!
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
23 years.
Hard-pressed to support his family, he left school
after completing his O-levels to be a construction
worker. Over the next few years, he faced a multitude
of challenges and had to switch jobs numerous times.
His jobs ranged from a tally clerk in a timber company
to a project coordinator at a renovation company.
Getting employment in those companies required
him to upgrade himself continuously and re-invent
his role to fit the situation.
Today, Jackson is a facility and safety officer
at the Agency for Science, Technology and
Research. Sharing his motivation for learning, he
said: “I see learning as a responsibility to myself,
my family and society. I want to make myself
more useful to society and live a life that matters.”
Having received the Lifelong Learner 2004
Award, the 46-year-old felt that he has the “added
responsibility” of motivating others to be lifelong
learners too.
Sharing some practical advice with those who
have lost their jobs or cannot find jobs, he said:
“To realise your target, you must accomplish a
few tasks. First, find a skill and make it marketable.
Second, find the passion to advance in your area
of expertise and in the meanwhile gain
experience. You must also network, ensure that
people know who you are, so as to get more
contacts and opportunities. Lastly, you must have
a strong drive to persevere to the end.”
0 4
What’s Hot
7
Learning — the fun
and enjoyable way!
Housing and Development Board (HDB)
staff gathered to see,
listen and learn
through hands-on
experience at not
another training class,
but something more
relaxing and fun!
Curious to find out
more? Come and
explore the HDB
Learning Carnival!
H
eld on 8 and 9
November
2004
in
conjunction with the
Staff who thronged the
Singapore Learning
Festival, the HDB Learning Carnival was about
continuous learning, not just to upgrade oneself
and stay employable, but also to enrich one’s mind
and experiences.
Some staff were inspired to take up painting.
Educational games brought home the message that
learning can be fun!
book fair enjoyed special rates.
The carnival acquainted staff with new
perspectives to learning and helped them to find
opportunities to learn something new.
“The theme for this year is lifelong learning.
Through activities, we hoped to share with our
staff that learning can be fun and enjoyable,”
said Principal Estates Officer Tan Liang Gim,
Chairman of the 2004 HDB Productivity and
Quality Campaign Committee.
The carnival featured various kiosks that
offered opportunities for staff to broaden their
scope of learning — through leisure, that is. For
example, one could learn about a foreign culture,
explore new child development methods, have a
mental workout or learn to appreciate paintings
and even antiques.
Staff who were keen to find out more could
attend lunchtime talks on various topics. For
example, Mr Anthony Lim, an in-house
organisational learning facilitator, conducted a
sharing session on personal mastery, which was
about understanding one’s hierarchy of choices
and the importance of having a clear and
compelling vision to achieve personal excellence.
And as all that zest about learning is incomplete
without books, the all-time favourite MPH book
fair was brought in for the carnival. Thousands of
books, from bestsellers to children’s titles, were
available at special rates. It was certainly a good
way to get staff excited about learning!
At The Ministries
8
Drawing future fliers
and saving the drips
win awards
ow do you encourage the young travellers
of today to make Changi their favourite
airport hub when they grow up in future?
What a waste it was to see condensed water
from MRT air-conditioning systems flowing down
the drain!
Two teams from the Civil Aviation Authority
of Singapore (CAAS) and the Land Transport
Authority (LTA) tackled the above issues,
winning for themselves the Ministry of
Transport — Minister Innovation Award. Another
eight teams also achieved this distinction. (See
box story.)
Creati
vit
break y involves
ing ou
t of
estab
lished
p
attern
order
s in
to
in a d look at thi
ngs
iffere
nt wa
y.
Well, the year 2003
marked the centennial year
of powered flight by the
Edwa
Wright Brothers. To
rd de
Bono
coincide with the worldwide
celebration of this event, a team of CAAS officers
from the Events Promotion Unit decided to organise
an activity specifically targeted at a group of very
special travellers — children! And what better way
to get our future travellers involved than through
an art competition?
Children between the ages of four and eight
from all over the world were invited to participate
in The International
Flight of Friendship
“I imagined myself in a hot air balloon, watching
Centennial Children Art
Contest.
the earth from high up in the sky…. Different
“The theme ‘Flight
clouds represent different countries, like Malaysia,
of Friendship’ was
Singapore and Thailand, which I have visited
selected because air
before.” — Lee Jia Yi, 4-year-old winner of the
travel has brought the
art contest
world closer together
and allowed new
friendships to be forged
H
International Flight of Friendship Centennial
Children Art Contest
Have you ever noticed the growing number of
children who travel with their parents, be it for a
family holiday or to accompany their parents on a
business trip? In the near future, these children
will grow up to be important travellers at Changi
Airport! Ever wondered what we can do to help
make Changi their favourite airport hub?
Minister for Transport Yeo Cheow Tong posing
with the winners.
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
The art contests met with enthusiastic response.
between people and countries of different
cultures,” said members of the team.
To reach out to as many children as possible,
publicity materials were sent to 1,183 schools in
the cities with air links to Singapore. Art
competitions were held in six of Singapore’s key
city links to increase awareness of the contest in
these countries. At the same time, a children’s
corner was set up in Changi Airport’s transit area
0 4
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
At The Ministries
9
Children having fun at the art competition that
was held locally.
to encourage participation from children passing
through the airport.
By the time the contest closed, more than
8,000 entries had been received from 44 cities in
23 countries. Ten winners were picked. One of
them was Miss Lee Jia Yi, a Malaysian who is only
4 years old! Describing her drawing, Jia Yi said: “I
imagined myself in a hot air balloon, watching
the earth from high up in the sky.… Different
clouds represent different countries, like Malaysia,
Singapore and Thailand, which I have visited
before.”
The young winners each received an allexpense paid tour to Singapore as well as $1,000
in Changi Airport shopping vouchers. In addition,
schools of the winners were also awarded $1,000
cash each.
Instead of packing away the entries after the
contest, CAAS staff exhibited some of them on
banners and stands at high-traffic areas in Changi
Airport’s terminal buildings to give the travelling
public an opportunity to view the artworks.
Recycling condensed water saves $$$ for
MRT stations
During your daily ride on the MRT, have you ever
wondered how our underground MRT stations are
kept cool? Or imagined just how much energy is
used to keep them cool?
Underground MRT stations have centralised
air-conditioning systems which produce
condensed water as the air flows through the
cooling coils of the air handling units. During their
routine inspections of the MRT stations, officers
from the Building Control Unit of LTA noticed that
the amount of condensed water produced was
substantial. However, the water was simply
discharged into drains! The officers then thought
of recycling the water.
Detailed studies showed that the bulk of water
consumption at an MRT station goes to
replenishing water loss at the cooling towers of
the air-conditioning system. The team decided to
recycle the condensed water to compensate for
the water loss. The condensed water is first
channelled to a collection tank, where it is then
pumped into the cooling tower’s make-up water
tank. Implementation cost was kept minimal.
How was the idea implemented? For
underground civil defence (CD) stations, the team
made use of existing CD equipment and the
network of pipes to circulate the condensed water
to the make-up water tank, thus incurring
minimal additional cost. For non-CD stations,
where there are no such provisions, the estimated
cost of implementation was $18,500 per station.
However, the savings far outweigh the cost.
Estimated savings per year work out to $108,400
for CD stations along the East-West, North-South
and Circle Lines. The project has also helped the
rapid transit operators to cut waste and reduce
their operating costs.
In fact, the project has been so successful
that it is being progressively implemented in
other existing CD stations. It will also impact
the design of air-conditioning systems for our
future MRT lines.
LTA staff have found a way to recycle the water
used in the air-conditioning systems of
underground MRT stations.
Ministry of Transport —
Minister Innovation Award
Deserving teams are awarded for their
innovative and creative projects that have
made significant improvements within the
organisation, brought benefits to the public
or industry that the organisation is serving,
and yet are also cost and time effective!
In 2004, 10 teams were honoured,
bringing it to a total of 25 awards given
out since the award’s inception in 2002.
Cover Story
10
Infocomm innovators
in the limelight
Celebrating the spirit
of innovation
The biennial awards are
jointly conferred by the
Infocomm Development
Authority of Singapore
(IDA) and the Singapore
infocomm Technology
Federation (SiTF).
There are two award
categories. The first, Most
Innovative Infocomm
Product/Service, recognises organisations which
develop or provide
innovative infocomm
products or services.
The second category,
Most Innovative Use of
Mr TK Udairam, CEO of Changi General Hospital and Chairman of SingHealth Cluster IT
Infocomm Technology,
Steering Committee, receiving the NIA from Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information,
recognises private and
Communications and the Arts.
public organisations
which
harness
infocomm
technologies
for greater
Singapore’s largest industrial landlord and
effectiveness
and
efficiency.
healthcare sector are leading the way in developing
This year’s awards drew 146 nominations from a
and adopting innovation and IT in the Public Service.
myriad of industries. The nominees were evaluated
TC Corporation (JTC), the National University based on the innovativeness of their entries, overall
business strategy, market presence, business impact
Hospital (NUH) and SingHealth were recently
created and type of technology used.
awarded the National Infocomm Award (NIA), the
highest accolade for infocomm innovation in Singapore. Harnessing the potential of innovation
Dr Lee said: “We need to increase
efforts to ensure that innovation
is pervasive in all our business
“For Singapore to maintain its competitive edge,
and public sectors. We must plug
we need to tap on such innovative spirit and
into the global innovation
entrepreneurial foresight to compete among the
network.”
best in the world.” — Dr Lee Boon Yang
Sharing about the role of NIA,
Mr Saw Ken Wye, immediate past
Chairman of SiTF and Co-Chair of
JTC won in the category for Most Innovative Use of NIA 2004, said: “Our national clarion call for
Infocomm Technology (Public Sector). NUH and innovation and entrepreneurship has found its best
SingHealth received merit awards in the same category. expression in NIA 2004.”
Mrs Tan Ching Yee, CEO of IDA and Co-Chair of NIA
(Read about the three award-winning innovations in
2004,
added: “This year’s NIA
the following pages.)
These captains of innovation were among 11 public winners are innovation To lea
rn
and private sector winners honoured at a gala dinner champions. We hope they will about N more
IA
held on 21 October 2004 with Dr Lee Boon Yang, spur others to put Singapore www.nia , visit
.org.
sg.
Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, infocomm on the regional and
international map.”
as the guest of honour.
J
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
0 4
Cover Story
11
JTC transforms its
approach to business
TC Corporation’s (JTC) new enterprise resource
planning solution — its eCREAM (Customer, Real
Estate and Marketing) System — is radically changing
the way it conducts business.
For example, it used to take business owners 14
days to get approval to rent a new flatted factory unit.
Now they can get immediate approval online.
And previously, those who wanted to renew their
tenancy had to wait 21 days. Now online approval is
given on the spot.
eCREAM represents a radical step forward for the
real estate industry by allowing online business
transactions and immediate approvals in an industry that
is characterised by high-value transactions, complex and
tedious legal processes and paper-based submissions.
The revolutionary system won JTC the National
Infocomm Award 2004 in the Most Innovative Use of
Infocomm Technology (Public Sector) category.
J
Key features and functionalities
eCREAM, JTC’s biggest and largest IT investment to date,
replaced seven silo legacy systems on separate platforms.
It is a fully integrated Web-based enterprise resource
planning system that incorporates both backroom
customer-related functions and front-end customer online
applications. It currently supports over 52 processes.
eCREAM’s key features include the following:
• Customer Service Portal: This offers online application,
subletting, termination and payment services.
• Dashboard Business Service: This enables staff to
quickly access key information about customers,
allocations and products.
• Straight-Through Workflow Business Service: This
manages workflow-driven processes that are predefined and repetitive in nature. It deals with the entire
lifecycle of a customer, including application for space,
subletting, renewal and termination of contract.
Mr Chong Lit Cheong, CEO of JTC, receiving the NIA from
Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information,
Communications and the Arts.
• Customer Management: This module captures and
processes customers’ interactions, feedback and
requests.
Critical benefits
Since eCREAM was implemented in January 2004, it
has revolutionised JTC’s vital customer and marketing
functions as well as streamlined its internal processes
and workflow. Many business processes were reengineered to improve business process turnaround time.
Said Mr Jeffrey Yap, Assistant Manager, Industrial
Parks Development Group, JTC: “Before we had eCream,
there were many independent systems we had to access
to get all the necessary information for our customers.
It was time consuming. Moreover, some of the
information given may not be updated because of the
time lapse between system updates.
“With eCream, all systems are now integrated and
we are able to give customers updated information
almost instantaneously.”
The direct benefits from efficiency improvements
translate to about $3.8 million in manpower savings
per year for JTC!
Furthermore, customers benefit from 24-hour
access to extensive online services as well as
enhanced, personalised service.
Explained Ms Ng Siew Siew, Deputy Manager, Flatted
Factory and Business Park Development, JTC: “eCream
makes us very mobile and it also enables us to actually
deliver our services to our customers’ doorsteps because
we can go on-site to do transactions with them on the spot.”
Committed to customers
Explaining the drive to develop eCREAM, Mr Lim Chin
Chong, Director of Customer Services Group, said:
“The typical real estate transaction is one that is longdrawn and tedious. We felt there was room to tie up
with other agencies to smoothen the application
process for customers, thus reducing the processing
time to prevent loss of business opportunities. With
that, JTC embarked on efforts to re-engineer our
business processes.
“We also endeavoured to provide all necessary
information to customers upfront on the Web to enable
them to make the decision for the transaction themselves.
This therefore saves time and improves efficiency.”
eCREAM is a clear demonstration of how JTC has
effectively embraced innovation and knowledgesharing for customers’ benefit. The system is key to
fulfilling the JTC’s commitment to be customer-focused
in the knowledge-driven economy.
Cover Story
12
NHG heart doctors
provide enhanced
patient care
reviously, when Dr Ng Kheng Siang,
Chief of Cardiology at Tan Tock Seng
Hospital, wanted a certain medical report,
he had to sieve through thick stacks of case
sheets. And if he needed some test results, he
had to make a call to the Cardiac Lab.
But since the Cardiology Information System
(CIS) was implemented, he has all the critical
information at his fingertips.
The CIS, launched by the National University
Hospital (NUH) in 2001, has been introduced in
Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Alexandra Hospital.
Next year, it will be implemented in all other
cardiology units in the National Healthcare Group
cluster. This will lead to better patient care across
the Group.
The C
IS wo
n
meri
t awa the
rd fo
the M
r
os
U s e o t Innova
tive
f Inf
oco
Techn
o l o g y mm
.
P
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
Comprehensive, integrated solution
The CIS is a comprehensive database that stores
visual and clinical cardiology information.
Visual data is often the source documents of
tests done, such as angiograms, echocardiograms
and images from electrocardiograms (ECGs).
Clinical data is the interpretation of the visual
data. Examples include anticoagulation profiles,
medical reports and non-invasive laboratory reports.
CIS users (mainly doctors and technicians)
can access both types of data wirelessly at
anytime and from anywhere in the hospital ward
with the use of tablet PCs.
“Very few hospitals have this level of data
integration. It is probably the first of its kind in Asia,”
said Dr James Yip, Consultant Cardiologist at the Heart
Institute at NUH, who
heads the five-man
A QUALITY HOSPITAL
project team.
NUH was the first hospital
Furthermore, the CIS
in Singapore to achieve the
covers every stage of the
Joint Commission
workflow. It tracks
International Accreditation
changes and outstanding
reports, and provides
in September 2004. This
secure access to data.
affirms that its processes
The system also enables
and procedures are of
users to track patients’
international standards that
progress over the years.
represent a worldwide
Said Dr Ng: “We
consensus on quality
finally have a programme
patient care.
that systematically
captures all the patient’s
Dr Yip sharing about the Cardiology Information
System with Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for
Information, Communications and the Arts.
investigation records into one neat chronological
bundle. It’s a tremendous boost for us in terms of
patient care!”
Benefits for users
The medical staff welcome the new system as it
helps to improve productivity and increase
accuracy in reporting. Doctors who use the tablet
PCs while going on their ward rounds save three
to five minutes per patient.
The staff also find the immediate access to visual
data very helpful. Said Ms Rujia Ali Shahul Hameed,
Senior Staff Nurse at NUH’s Cardiac Rehabilitation
Department: “Before I even see my patient, I already
have a clear idea of his coronary anatomy. This saves
me time in counselling my patient and allows me to
educate him better.”
Furthermore, the integration of all the
cardiology systems enables clinical data to be
easily retrieved. As a result, research output has
doubled since CIS was implemented.
Benefits for patients
The system provides faster access to data in
emergency situations and allows for faster diagnosis.
The enhanced efficiency leads to shorter hospital
stays and waiting time for the first appointment.
Said Dr Yip: “Since implementing CIS, we have cut
down the average cardiology inpatient stay by 0.8 days.
This was despite a 5% growth in patient volume.”
Benefits for the hospital
The increased productivity translates to annual
savings of $588,000 for the hospital. Moreover,
the outpatient load has risen by 20% without a
significant change in patients’ satisfaction rates.
0 4
Cover Story
13
SingHealth’s one-stop
system for medical records
ingHealth is the region’s first public
healthcare organisation to introduce an
integrated online Electronic Medical Records
(EMR) System in multiple hospitals, specialist
centres and polyclinics.
This means that if a patient takes medical
tests at a SingHealth polyclinic and is later
referred to a specialist at a SingHealth hospital,
his specialist can have direct access to his past
medical records.
Ms Olivia Ong is a case in point. “My
condition requires me to do a blood test prior to
every consultation with the specialist at SGH,”
she said. “I appreciate the convenience of
getting it done at a polyclinic near my home
and knowing that the results are readily
available to my doctor electronically during
consultation at SGH.”
The EMR System provides a one-stop service
for patient medical information and healthcare
treatment history. It was introduced in
SingHealth’s three hospitals, four national centres
and eight polyclinics in September 2002.
S
Drawbacks of old system
Previously, clinicians relied on paper-based
medical records such as patient lab results, drug
prescriptions and discharge summaries filed in
patient case-note folders.
The paper-based documentation systems had
many problems, including missing or misplaced
documents, which resulted in delays and
sometimes the need to repeat medical
investigations on patients. There was also the
perennial problem of doctors’ illegible
handwriting!
X-ray images can be viewed electronically without
the need for films.
Effective new solution
MR
rit
th’s E
With the EMR System, all SingHeal n the me
o
t
w
these problems have become System r the Mos
o
f
f
d
o
r
se
a thing of the past. This is
awa
ive U nology.
ovat
ch
n
n
T
I
because the system provides an
m e
m
o
c
o
Inf
integrated view of patients’
medical information, including
hospital inpatient discharge
summaries, electronic prescriptions, drug
allergies and medical alerts, laboratory tests and
radiology reports.
The EMR system aims to achieve patientcentric quality care through the seamless
integration of patient information across the entire
continuum of care.
To date, the EMR database houses 1.9 million
patient records and 1 TB of jpeg X-ray images.
More than 10,000 medical staff have been
trained to access the system on a daily basis.
Multiple benefits
By making patient medical records available
online, the EMR System gives healthcare
professionals a more holistic and consolidated
view of historical healthcare treatment
information in a timely, comprehensive and
accurate manner.
Said Dr Loo Chian Min, Consultant of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department
at SGH: “The EMR system has certainly helped
doctors in SGH to improve patient care especially
by making complete results and trends available
on our computers.
“For example, the availability of the Image
Management System allows us to view all X-ray
images electronically without waiting for the films
to be traced. The availability of the electronic
discharge summary enables us to get patient
information rapidly.”
The system also streamlines the referral
process for the timely discharge of patients from
the acute hospital and their subsequent transfer
to a community hospital or home nursing for stepdown care. The speedy transfer of patients to stepdown care facilities helps to free up beds for the
treatment of more urgent and complex cases at
the acute hospitals.
Information sharing within the SingHealth
cluster also allows for enhanced result trending,
graphing and research. And at the end of the day,
the patient benefits the most of all!
Innovation In Action
14
The wonderful
world of MIW
hen was there a time that National
Servicemen (NSmen) could enjoy
exclusive discounts at a spa clinic?
Or purchase skincare products or inline skates at
discounted rates simply because they were
conscripts?
Rhetorical questions these are not. NSmen
today do get to enjoy the above privileges and
more, as a result of a programme offered by My
Internet World (MIW), a portal set up by the
Ministry of Defence for all NS populations.
This programme, known as MIW “PATRIOT”
eBonus, allows NSmen to get exclusive privileges
simply by flashing the eBonus icons —
downloadable from MIW — on their mobile phone
or handheld devices.
MIW is an integrated platform that not only
allows NSmen to register for enlistment and other
related matters like Individual Physical Proficiency
Test (IPPT) and In-Camp Training dates. It also
allows them to post army stories online, chat in
forums and even download games.
W
Public-private partnership
Launched in April 2001, the portal is the result of a
public-private partnership: The Ministry of Defence
(MINDEF) outsourced the project to Green Dot Internet
Services Pte Ltd (GDIS), a private company, to run it.
“The belief is that a private company can
probably run a lot faster than a public agency
within the confines of government rules and
regulations,” said Mr Alphonsus Pang, Director of
MINDEF Systems Organisation in the Defence
Management Group of the ministry.
Log on to www.miw.com.sg today!
“Being public officers, it is perhaps natural for
us to be efficient and effective from an
organisation’s point of view. But it’s not that easy
to be efficient and effective from the stakeholders’,
from the customers’ point of view,” he continued.
Mr Pang felt that a commercial vendor could
be much more responsive to the needs of the NS
communities as GDIS could link up with other
commercial partners to package better deals for
them. This helps to generate more life and
interactions among NS populations in the portal.
Transforming mindsets
The commercialisation of the ministry portal is
seemingly incongruent with the serious, “we mean
business” facade that military defence is supposed
c h a l l e n g e
MIW — an international
innovations award finalist
d e c e m b e r
y Internet World or MIW (read the main
story for more details of this project) was
one of the 14 finalists of the fourth Biennial
CAPAM International Innovations Awards
Programme.
The awards programme was part of the 10th
M
Anniversary Biennial Commonwealth Association
for Public Administration and Management
(CAPAM) conference held from 23 to 27 October
2004 at Shangri-La Hotel.
Set up in 1994, CAPAM — with more than
1,200 individual members and 80 institutional
0 4
Innovation In Action
15
to front. However, Mr Pang pointed out that amidst
the fanfare, the concept of MIW is a strategic
imperative to transform MINDEF and the Singapore
Armed Forces and their mindsets.
By providing excellent customer-centric services,
MINDEF hopes to create a positive NS experience and
imbue confidence in the system. If the organisation is
able to engender NS communities’ commitment, it
will have a great impact on their confidence in
Singapore’s defence system.
Response to the portal has been very
encouraging. Within a short span of three years,
the number of registered users has ballooned from
27,149 to more than 270,000. The number of eservices available has scaled up from 42 to 104,
while the number of transactions per month has
escalated from 130,000 to 450,000.
the portal now, it is rather inconceivable that the
project did not begin with a big bang.
Reminiscing how the project started, Mr Pang
recalled: “The vision was big. The start-up was small.
But the endeavour was to scale as fast as possible.”
The journey of building the portal has been
useful for MINDEF. Bringing various departments
closer notwithstanding, the heightened awareness
from the NSmen’s point of view rather than from
the organisation’s perspective is a major reward.
The team is lucky to have supportive leaders.
Recognising the fact that the portal would
encounter teething
problems and other
“Our NS communities are exposed and
obstacles along the
way, they nevertheless
accustomed to the commercial services out there
gave the green light
which can be very competitive and sophisticated....
to “go ahead and just
Ours should be on par if not better than those they
do it”.
are used to.” — Mr Alphonsus Pang
Success journey
When the project started, the team handling it
was clear about the outcome they wanted to
achieve: to provide multi-channel access.
Through new, innovative efforts, they wanted to
offer A³ services — services at Any time, Any place
and by Any means. Busy NSmen need a platform
where they can access services any time of the
day. Travelling conscripts need to have access from
any place. And multiple channels, be it mobile
phones, PDAs, etc., enable NSmen to gain access
through any means.
Looking at the complexities and intricacies of
Sharing experiences
Different ministries
have approached
MINDEF to find out more about MIW and how to
go about running this model. Sharing his
experience, Mr Pang advised: “Don’t
underestimate the effort required to bring about
a mindset change in customer-centricity.... To
adopt a similar public-private partnership model,
you need a win-win partnership because you
need to work closely with your partner in order
to deliver the value proposition to your
customers.
“It is also crucial to have champions to try to
drive the mindset change, the value proposition,
the win-win proposition.”
memberships in over 80 countries — is dedicated
to strengthening public management and
consolidating democracy and good governance
throughout the Commonwealth.
The CAPAM International Innovations Awards
Programme attracted 153 submissions. Two gold,
two silver and two bronze awards were given out.
The other submission from Singapore that
made it to the finals was “Child Care Link”, an
e-government initiative developed by the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth
and Sports. The system connects government
regulatory agencies with the whole childcare
sector to partner with parents in the delivery of
childcare services.
This year’s CAPAM conference, jointly
organised by the Public Service Division of the
Prime Minister’s Office and Civil Service College,
was themed “Networked Government”. Throwing
up a plethora of issues pertinent to modern-day
governance for discussion, like “engaging
citizens”, “citizen-centric service delivery”, “egovernance” and “un-bureaucratic bureaucracy”,
“impassioned” was an apt word to describe the
sharing sessions which drew more than 460
foreign and local delegates.
At Your Service
16
Superb time-saver
gets thumbs up
By IDA Singapore
ime is of the essence, especially to business
owners. So when Mr Shee Tek Lic, general
manager of a fast food restaurant, had less
than two weeks to get two import licences, he
thought he would not be able to commence
business as scheduled.
Fortunately, he was referred to the Online
Business Licensing Service (OBLS). To his great
relief, he got both licences within a day, and as a
result, was able to go ahead with his plans.
T
Life before OBLS
For budding entrepreneurs, enduring convoluted
licence application processes used to be a
necessary evil before they could jumpstart their
businesses. As more than one licence is usually
required for a particular business activity and the
approval of one licence is sometimes contingent
on the approval of another, it is little wonder that
in some cases, the final approval might materialise
only after several months.
The worst case scenario for an applicant would
be, after months of waiting and lots of paperwork,
he is still unable to start his business because a
critical licence has not been approved.
That was the grim reality facing potential
business start-ups in the past.
The turning point came in August 2001, when
in the spirit to foster a pro-enterprise environment
in Singapore, the Ministry of Trade and Industry
(MTI), with support from Infocomm Development
Authority (IDA), developed OBLS together with 30
public agencies.
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
Many benefits under one roof
OBLS enables all public agencies’ licensing
services to be accommodated at one URL.
What’s more, licensing processes were
reviewed with the aim to simplify procedures and
shorten processing time for users. For instance, it
used to take two months for an applicant to obtain
a pet shop licence from the Agri-Food and
Veterinary Authority. Now with OBLS, approval
can be secured in just three days!
Furthermore, an applicant needs to complete
only one online form to apply for several licences.
A consolidated payment mechanism also makes
it possible for one payment to be made for multiple
licence fees, eliminating the need for applicants to
make separate payments to various parties.
Since the various applications are processed
FACTS AND FIGURES
• The time taken to get a fish culture farm
licence from AVA has been reduced from
three months to three days.
• The portal offers 69 different licences
and registrations required by various
sectors such as the media, food and
beverage, import and export,
telecommunications and entertainment
industries.
• Each year, 80% of start-ups or close to
30,000 businesses are able to fulfil their
licensing needs without having to go online.
concurrently, applicants can also expect a much
shorter waiting time.
Currently, the portal offers 69 different
licences and registrations required by various
sectors such as the media, entertainment, food
and beverage, import and export, and
telecommunications industries.
About 80% of start-ups or close to 30,000
businesses each year are able to fulfil their
licensing needs through OBLS, without having to
go offline.
Happy with OBLS
With so many benefits, it is no wonder that users
are very pleased with the online service.
Said Ms Heng Siok Hong, who got approval for
her employer registration within a day: “Keep up
the good work. I am really impressed and amazed
by the quick response.”
Another user, Mr Ang Ying Thye, was glad that
OBLS helped to significantly cut down waiting
time, especially since he could apply for licences
after office hours. He said: “You’re doing a great
job by simplifying the processes and putting them
online. The procedures are easier for the average
person to understand.”
In the pipeline
In future, business owners can look forward to
renewing, updating and terminating their licences
online. This way, they can experience the
convenience of going to one place for all their
business licensing needs.
0 4
Staff Matters
17
Get great deals with
The Family Card!
children, and for some, even a
free meal for kids when parents
dine in!
The Family Card is a discount card that gives
families access to great discounts and ideas
for family bonding across the island. Have you
got yours yet?
I
f you visit Switzerland, you may chance upon
a “Families Welcome” quality seal. Businesses
that display the seal offer family-friendly
facilities as well as special deals for the family.
Similarly, retailers in Singapore have realised
that targeting families makes business sense. So
81 retailers with more than 500 outlets across
Singapore have partnered with Family Matters!
Singapore to create packages for families under
The Family Card programme.
Help for families
Said Ms Amy Gay, Deputy Director, Family Education
Department, Ministry for Community Development,
Youth and Sports: “MCYS supports this card because
it can help families to save money with these good
discounts offered.... The philosophy behind this
card is not to promote a ‘larger than life lifestyle’
and spending beyond one’s financial means, but
instead it is to offer discounts and opportunities for
families to spend time together.”
Apart from special family deals, The Family
Card retailers are also rated according to suitability
for couples, family, seniors and babies. The rating
provides a reference list of things families can do
together. A restaurant with a baby-friendly rating
for instance, offers baby seats, crockery for young
FAMILY MATTERS! SINGAPORE
This is a movement that brings the
community and the Government together to
create an environment conducive to
marriage, families and the raising of children,
by shaping values, attitudes and life choices.
For m
or
on Th e informat
e Fam
ion
il
log o
n to: y Card,
www.
thefa
mi
or ca l y c a r d . c o m
ll 624
2 249 . s g
0.
Exclusive merchants
The exclusive merchants include aquaDucksTM,
Kids Pictures, Tumble Tots, Big Bubble Centre,
Morris Allen Study Centres, and Lorna Whiston
Speech & Drama Centre.
On why her company supported the programme,
Ms Lindy Koh from aquaDucksTM said: “aquaDucksTM is
honored to be part of The Family Card as it complements
our emphasis on family bonding. The Family Card is
an excellent initiative to promote family values and
we strongly encourage like-minded merchants to
participate in this excellent programme.”
The card offers exclusive discounts including
10% off the total bill and a one-time 20% discount
voucher for birthday cakes at Angie the Choice, and
15% discount on regular items and 5% discount on
promotional items at Novena Furnishing.
Get your card today!
The Family Card aims to help families save money
whilst bonding with their loved ones. It is about
making a statement that our families matter!
Applicants do not need to have a certain
income level to qualify. The usual price for The
Family Card is $15. However, staff of Family Life
Ambassador (FLA) Organisations need only pay
$10. (Visit www.aboutfamilylife.org.sg to check if
your organisation is an FLA.) Contact your Human
Resource Department for more information on
signing up for The Family Card.
Serious about staff welfare
MINDEF is one of the FLA Organisations that
encourages its staff to join the programme. Explaining
why, Ms Alice Yeo, Head (Family Support and
Development Branch), Defence Management Group,
said: “We take staff welfare very seriously. With The
Family Card, our staff can have access to a whole
range of ideas and special deals for dining, travelling,
relaxing and spending quality time with their
loved ones.”
A Day In The Life Of A Public Officer
18
A foodie at work
Food is the spice of life, especially life in
Singapore. Much to the envy of others, Ms Leung
Wai Ling from SPRING Singapore gets to work
with food gurus and be one of the first to learn
of new products and trends in the food business!
ai Ling is Director of the Food Division,
part of SPRING’s Enterprise
Development Group.
“We are looking to help our food
manufacturers and food and beverage (F&B)
companies become bigger and better enterprises.
But we cannot do this alone. Not only do we work
closely with the industry players and industry
associations, we also work together with other
government agencies to jointly help grow
Singapore’s food industry,” she said.
W
Ingredients for success
Just what does it take for a food business to make
it in Singapore?
Wai Ling said: “An F&B guru once shared the
key success factors: First is location — you must find
the right place. Next is culinary — the food must be
good. The third is delivering an acceptable level of
service, if not exceeding the expectations of the
consumer. And the last but not least, is ambience.
Increasingly, consumers are looking for a total dining
experience.”
c h a l l e n g e
d e c e m b e r
Spicing up the food scene
Wai Ling hopes to fuel a vibrant and competitive
food industry in Singapore. With some 4,400 F&B
outlets across the island (this number excludes
food court and hawker stalls), she certainly has
plenty on her plate.
Since the team was set up, it has touched
base with over 100 F&B companies and food
manufacturers. She shared: “It’s exciting to know
the people behind successful F&B concepts such
as Andrew Tjioe from Tung Lok and Douglas Foo
from Sakae Sushi. We get to understand what
makes them tick, the journey they have gone
through, their aspirations and issues they face.”
From there, her team will find ways to provide
assistance. For example, one common problem
F&B players face is a lack of skilled manpower.
Wai Ling works with the Workforce Development
Agency and industry associations to identify the
skill gaps and training programmes needed, as well
as to develop benchmarks.
Her team also helps local companies to
streamline their operations and improve their
efficiency by adopting technology. For instance, she
worked with Colours by the Bay, one of the first F&B
concepts to introduce a wireless point-of-sale and
cross ordering system across several restaurants.
And to help food businesses stay competitive, her
team organises overseas trips to expose F&B players
to new concepts, processes and service offerings that
can be adapted to suit the local context.
A winning ‘recipe’
Wai Ling’s team is also involved in the Singapore
Premium Food Gifts Programme, which was jointly
launched by SPRING, the Singapore Tourism Board
and the Singapore Food Manufacturers’
Association in 2002.
The programme helps to upgrade the
capabilities of Singapore-based food companies
so that they can create quality food gifts that
meet export quality standards and market them
under the Singapore brand. This helps our food
manufacturers to move into higher value products
and also capture the promising tourist market.
A wide selection of local favourites like bak
kuah, freeze-dried Pulau Ubin prawns and chicken
rice sauces has been put into beautifully designed
gift boxes to give the world a taste of Singapore.
The premium food gifts have also been popular
among locals.
“This programme has created much
awareness and started many other food
manufacturers and restaurants thinking about
bottling their sauces and packaging their
signature food products.” she enthused.
A growing appetite
Always on the lookout for F&B establishments to
work with and eager to help them improve, Wai
Ling will not hesitate to walk right up to a
restaurant owner to introduce herself, especially
if she is impressed with the restaurant.
She even “confesses” to playing the role of
mystery shopper every time she dines out.
“Whenever I go out to eat, I tend to put on my
SPRING cap unconsciously,” she said. I’d be
thinking ‘the service needs improvement’ or ‘the
food is not consistent’ or ‘the turnaround time
was impressive’.” If Wai Ling knows the
entrepreneur, she would volunteer her feedback.
Her passion to see food businesses grow is
what keeps her going. Although the job can be
very stressful at times, she enjoys the challenges.
In fact, every successful attempt to help F&B
players whets her appetite for even more
opportunities to do what she can to enable food
businesses to thrive and the industry to grow!
0 4
Healthy Body, Active Mind
19
AIDS — 20 years on
IDS was first recognised in 1981. Now,
more than 20 years later, there is still no
cure for AIDS.
A person is diagnosed with AIDS when HIV
(Human Immunodeficiency Virus) has destroyed
his body’s resistance to diseases.
In 1981, a person with HIV can expect to die
within a year or two. Today, there are treatments
that can help a person delay the onset of AIDS.
A
Treating HIV
HIV treatment is the use of medication to keep an
HIV-infected person healthy. Currently, there are
20 types of drugs available to treat a person with
HIV. They are called antiretroviral drugs because
they attack HIV, which is a retrovirus. These drugs
can only suppress or slow down the growth of
HIV, but not indefinitely. They cannot cure AIDS.
Treatment, while available, is complicated and
has to be tailored to the individual. An HIVinfected person has to take several types of drugs
per day for the rest of his life. Sadly, these drugs
can also cause unpleasant side effects such as
nausea and vomiting. Severe side effects such as
liver problems, diabetes, high cholesterol and
nerve problems may force a person to change his
treatment regimen and limit his treatment options.
In addition, as these drugs are very expensive,
not everyone with HIV can afford treatment.
GET MORE INFORMATION
• Call 6295 2944 (available 24 hours, in four
languages) for AIDS/STI pre-recorded
information
• Call AIDS/STI Hotline at 1800-252 1324
(available during office hours)
• Call AIDS Information & Counselling
Hotline at 6254 0212 (Tuesday, Thursday
& Friday: 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm)
• Go for HIV screening at DSC Clinic, 31
Kelantan Lane, #01-16, Singapore 200031,
Tel: 6293 9648, Fax: 6299 4335, http//dscsexualhealth.com.sg
• Action for AIDS provides anonymous HIV
testing/counselling at the DSC clinic on
Wednesday (6 pm – 8 pm) and Saturday
(1 pm – 4 pm).
• Visit any polyclinic or private clinic for
screening. All test results will be kept
strictly confidential.
While taking
medication, the HIVinfected person may
appear very healthy.
However, he can still
transmit the virus
to others through
unprotected sex, the
sharing of injection
needles and blood
donation. Without a
cure in sight, AIDS
will remain a killer
disease for a long
time.
Protection and
prevention
As scientists continue to find an anti-HIV/AIDS
vaccine, the ways to protect oneself from AIDS
remain the same, more than 20 years after the
virus was discovered:
1. Remain faithful to your spouse or partner. The
safest sex is between two faithful, uninfected
persons.
2. Avoid unprotected sex with prostitutes and
casual partners as you simply cannot tell who
has HIV from his/her appearance alone.
3. However, if you are having sex with someone
other than your spouse or partner, at least use
a condom. While it does not guarantee 100%
protection, condoms, when used properly and
consistently, are effective in reducing your
risk of contracting HIV.
4. Avoid receiving blood and organs from dubious
sources.
5. Avoid drug abuse and sharing needles.
Today, an HIV infection still causes AIDS and
ultimately death. However, unlike 20 years ago,
because of the availability of treatment, the HIVinfected person can live up to 10 years or more
after being infected.
CHALLENGEQUIZ
december
2004
ANSWERS
to Nov 2004 Quiz
1
What award did the National
Library Board win recently?
Singapore Quality Award
2. Name the online service that
allows blood donors to book
donation appointments at
Bloodbank@HSA.
DonorCare@HSA
Answer the following questions on the contents of
this issue of Challenge:
3. What are the two areas of focus
to bring the ExCEL movement
forward? empowerment and
improvement
4. Which agency did BCA turn to
to fund the trial of the portable
field water-tightness testing
device? The Enterprise Challenge
1.
When is the Marina Barrage expected to
be ready?
2.
How many Lifelong Learner 2004 Awards were
given out this year?
5. What are the six competencies in
the Hand of InnovationTM training
framework? Generating Ideas,
Harvesting and Developing Ideas,
Evaluating Ideas, Proposing and
Marketing Ideas, Implementing
Ideas, and Team Learning
3.
Which three government organisations won the
National Infocomm Awards 2004?
WINNERS
of Nov 2004 Quiz
4.
What does “OBLS” stand for?
5.
How much does a staff member of a Family Life
Ambassador Organisation have to pay for The
Family Card?
1. Yeo Tong Woon, ICA
2. Natasha bte Abd Rahim, JTC Corp
3. Loo Kim Chwee, LTA
4. Vivien Tan-Yong, MND
5. Chloe Ang, MOE
6. Mohd Irwan, SPF
7. Kate Tan, MHA/Prisons
8. Ronald Pang, MHA
Send your entries to PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-02,
9. V Revathi, SCDF
Singapore 179434 by 7 January 2005. Email us at [email protected] or
fax to 6333 4010. Give your name, ministry, ministry address and phone
10. Norain Bte Kamsan, MCYS
number. The first 10 correct entries drawn will receive a token of appreciation
from the PS21 Office.
Congratulations to the winners,
who will each receive a prize.