Dr Benjamin Koh joins AIC’s Board
Dr Benjamin Koh, Deputy Secretary (Development) of Ministry of Health, has been out of the healthcare sector for almost a decade and is excited to be back in the sector.
What are your impressions about the Community Care sector?
The Community Care sector will become increasingly important in anchoring health and social care closer to home as our population ages. This is crucial as most of our seniors prefer to age-in-place, in environments that they are familiar with and closer to the people whom they care about.
I am happy to see that there are many who have joined the sector to play this important role. I am especially heartened that the folks in the Community Care sector are passionate about what they do and take their caring mission seriously. Being people-oriented, I have also realised over the years that folks in the sector love to discuss issues face-to-face over a good cup of coffee or tea, and I'm looking forward to that.
What are some things you would recommend to our readers from Community Care?
First, be open about sharing what you know and learn from others. As the sector continues to grow and transform, we will need to explore new and innovative ways of delivering care for the benefit of those we care for. Some of these ways are profiled on mosAIC. We should share the lessons we have learnt, and be receptive to adopting best practices that others have embarked on and shown to work.
Second, work closely with partners in delivering care. Some of those we care for may have complex health and social needs. While we sometimes manage different aspects of care, it is important that we work together to ensure that care is coordinated and holistic from our patient's or client's perspective.
Third, I am going to shamelessly help AIC advertise here and encourage you to get your friends to follow and like "mosAIC". It is a good way to create awareness of what we do in the Community Care sector, and hopefully attract more people to join us.
Tell us something about yourself that most people may not know.
I get asked a lot what field I did my PhD in. I am actually trained as a medical doctor but I have not practised clinical medicine for many years.
