Grounded in compassion and shaped by scholarship support, Dr Chiong Yee Kiong's’s path from medical student to public health advocate has touched thousands of lives.
Dr Chiong Yee Keow’s (Medicine ’12) journey in public health all started with an eye-opening gap year before medical school.
While working with the elderly at the hospital and in rental flats, Dr Chiong witnessed their challenges—from social isolation to problems in navigating MediSave or MediFund to pay medical bills. These experiences ignited her passion and led to a career in medicine and eventually public health, where today she is making a difference in the lives of individuals and communities across Singapore.
Enabling Excellence: The Wu Yu Lin Scholarship
Supported by the Wu Yu Lin Master of Public Health Scholarship, Dr Chiong was able pursue a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) without worrying about financial burdens.
Dr Chiong (centre) and her MPH classmates.
Dr Chiong said: “Without the scholarship, I would have been more stressed out to handle the additional school fees on top of my full-time work, as I am the main breadwinner of my family. While providing upkeep for the family, I also had to pay for my brother’s school fees.”
The scholarship, named in memory of Dr Wu Yu Lin, honours the late Dr Wu’s father Dr Wu Lien-Teh, who was pivotal in eradicating the deadly Manchurian pneumonic plague of 1910–11.
Reflecting on the scholarship’s impact on her, Dr Chiong said: “It helped me to appreciate the work that our forefathers have done, and the work continues to this day. It has been a long and arduous journey, and sometimes it is difficult to keep to that initial vision, but we persevere until we see a change.”
Uplifting Children in Need: KidSTART@NUH
That unwavering perseverance is mirrored in the growth of the KidSTART programme at National University Hospital (NUH). Since its launch in 2016, the nationwide early childhood development initiative has touched the lives of nearly 10,000 children from lower-income families.
As KidSTART’s Paediatric Lead, Dr Chiong oversees a comprehensive support system that connects families with a network of professionals who offer advice on health, nutrition and early childhood development. A dedicated team of medical social workers, nurses and case management officers conduct regular home visits, providing parents access to social service agencies and healthcare professionals
Dr Chiong brings essential support to lower-income families and children through the KidSTART programme at NUH.
“I hope that we will be able to make a personalised impact on every family we encounter, to uplift them from their circumstances, and provide the best environment possible for the family and child to bond,” said Dr Chiong. “That will maximise the child’s potential and enhance the parent-child relationship.”
A study by the non-profit Centre for Evidence and Implementation shed light on the positive impact of KidSTART. After just one year with the programme, parents reported reduced stress levels and increased confidence in childcare. For the children, the results were just as encouraging. When KidSTART participants turned three, they demonstrated better socio-emotional and daily living skills compared to their peers outside the programme.
Carrying Kindness Forward
The values of compassion that shape Dr Chiong’s work today were instilled by her family, particularly her late aunt. Though she was a humble church cleaner with modest means, Dr Chiong’s aunt exemplified selfless generosity.
Dr Chiong recalled: “My aunt gave us a big angpow during one Chinese New Year when my mother was unable to work as she had Stage 3B colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, my aunt passed away on the last day of my mother’s chemotherapy, and I have not been able to repay her kindness to us, hence I am committed to paying it forward.”
Profoundly influenced by her aunt's kindness, Dr Chiong made it her mission to pay that goodwill forward. Even amid the rigorous demands of medical school at NUS, she carved out time to serve communities locally and internationally.
She conducted free health screenings for rental flat residents in Singapore through the Neighbourhood Health Service, and for children in Cambodia through the humanitarian medical mission Project Sabai. She also raised S$16,000 as Sponsorship Director of the Public Health Screening, an annual event promoting healthy living and preventive care. Her innovative spirit and community contributions earned her the Lee Hsien Loong Award for Outstanding All-Round Achievement.
Dr Chiong (second from left) actively volunteers at the Neighbourhood Health Service Kids, conducting free health screenings for rental flat residents in Singapore.
Her work with the Neighbourhood Health Service proved particularly enlightening, thanks to guidance from Mrs Tharman, who was actively involved in Taman Jurong's community work with President Tharman then. She said: “Mrs Tharman told us that health is the neutral entry point to understand the other social problems that a resident in the rental flat has. That was my first foray into the socio-ecological model and social determinants of health.”
Now, as Head of the Division of Community Family and Child Health at the National University Centre for Women and Children, Dr Chiong applies these grassroots insights to her work at NUH. Her passionate advocacy for population health has led to collaborative efforts with National University Polyclinics, in their implementation of crucial screening programs and health education initiatives for families and children.
Shaping the Next Generation
Recognising that healthcare challenges transcend borders, Dr Chiong took her advocacy for children's and family health to the regional stage. Representing Singapore at the 2023 ASEAN Youth Fellowship forum, Dr Chiong engaged in meaningful discussions with like-minded Southeast Asian delegates.
The forum proved to hold many valuable lessons. “It taught me to step out of my comfort zone to approach leaders to engage them and share about what I do,” she reflected. “We can share our vision with many people, but we cannot expect all of them to believe in it or buy into it. There also needs to be strategic patience, as a lot of things in public health take time to develop and push through.”
Dr Chiong’s journey exemplifies the importance of investing in young healthcare leaders with a strong sense of purpose. Today, she shapes the next generation of public health advocates through her roles as NUS Global Health and Leadership Programme Academic Advisor and Neighbourhood Health Service Kids Academic Mentor at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
Drawing from her Master’s in Public Health, she guides students eager to create positive change through community involvement projects.
Her advice to these aspiring changemakers? “Remember your vision and stick to your guns. It is important to have a proper situation analysis and identify the problems first, before coming up with interventions. Start small, and show results; good enough is better than perfect.”
Join us in empowering more future changemakers like Dr Chiong. You can support more Master of Public Health students at SSHSPH when you make a gift today.
