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Some Hospitals Seeing Increase In Baby Deliveries In 2015

With about a month to go to the nation’s 50th birthday, some hospitals are already seeing an increase in the number of babies delivered this year, compared to last year.

NATIONAL DAY BABIES

Couple Fiona and Xavier Yang got married in early-2014 and were eager to start a family. They were keen to have a child born in 2015, as they felt it would be special to have a SG50 baby, and they soon found out they were expecting a girl on Aug 24.

But due to her baby’s size, Mrs Yang was medically advised to have a C-section earlier, which falls on Aug 9.

“We feel very excited and are looking forward to this day, because we are going to celebrate the nation’s birthday with the newborn,” she said. “It marks a new chapter of our life. By giving birth on National Day, it marks a memorable day for her.”

The delivery suite at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

Similarly, Dr Sim Wen Shan, who works in a delivery suite at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), will also be having her own SG50 baby, with her estimated date of delivery on Aug 9.

“Of course we were very excited about it,” she said. “However, we do understand that we may not be able to deliver on National Day itself. We look forward to the progress of events in August, and hopefully it will just happen on National Day.”

RISE IN 2015 BABIES

As National Day approaches, some hospitals Channel NewsAsia spoke with, say they have already seen a rise in deliveries in the first half of this year, compared to the previous years.

They speculate it could be due to more parents wanting to have their babies born in the SG50 year. But regardless of whether there will be a spike of deliveries in August, hospitals say they are well-equipped to manage the patient load.

The National University Hospital (NUH) says it has delivered more than 1,800 babies from January to June 2015, a 7.6 per cent increase, compared to the same period in 2014. NUH added that about 86 women are due to deliver in the first two weeks of August, of which 7 women have their projected due dates falling on Aug 9.

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital commemorative coin and plush toy for the first 50 babies born on Aug 9. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

Meanwhile, KKH has seen a slight bump in deliveries for the first six months of this year. It estimates an increase in deliveries of 5 per cent by the end of the year and says they are well prepared to manage patient load, especially in August.

“In expectation of this bumper crop this year, we have increased the number of doctors who are on duty, as well as the number of nurses and midwives on duty in the labour ward,” said Associate Professor Tan Thiam Chye, Head of Inpatient Service at the Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KKH.

COMPARABLE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR

On the other hand, there are hospitals who say the number of deliveries they have had this year so far is comparable to the previous year. Raffles Hospital says it sees an average of 1,000 to 1,100 deliveries each year.

“We don’t see a rise at this point,” said Director of Inpatient Operations at Raffles Hospital Lilian Yew. “In terms of the surge in the month of August, and in terms of managing these patients, we will be able to handle them. We will increase our manpower in terms of managing them.”

Raffles Hospital says so far, they have two patients who are due to deliver on Aug 9, and an average of 30 patients who are due within the first two weeks of August this year. This is the same compared to previous years.

Gleneagles Hospital also says its numbers are comparable to last year, and expects to close the year with close to 3,000 deliveries. So far, the hospital has close to 100 patients who are due to give birth in August.

A suite at Gleneagles Hospital. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

Said Gleneagles Hospital CEO, Dr Vincent Chia: “Currently looking at the picture, there doesn’t seem to be a sharp climb or sharp increase, but we are keeping close watch. We have staff on standby and they will be recalled back to help out with the current operations or the present operations if needed.

“Moreover, if our labour ward rooms are full, then our post-natal wards can be converted to actual labour wards to be used as well.”

GOODIES

Nonetheless, hospitals are giving out additional goodies to parents who have a baby on National Day.

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital commemorative coin for the first 50 babies born on Aug 9. (Photo: Sara Grosse)

For Gleneagles Hospital, this includes a free upgrade to a suite, a gift hamper, a fresh bouquet of flowers and a celebratory meal, while Raffles Hospital is offering a hamper and celebratory meal, as well as a suite upgrade.

To mark SG50, KKH is giving a special coin and a plush toy to the first 50 babies born on Aug 9.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 13, 2015
Man Arrested For Attempting To Bribe Two Police Officers

A 31-year-old man has been arrested for attempting to bribe two police officers.

On Friday (Jul 10), Staff Sergeant Noor Ramdan and Sergeant Mohammad Nazri from Ang Mo Kio Division responded to a case of a drunken passenger who refused to alight from a taxi at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

The man made indecent hand gestures and refused to heed the officers’ advice despite repeated warnings. He was eventually placed under arrest for disorderly behaviour and for insulting public servants.

Police said in a statement that on the way back to the police station, the man offered to introduce the officers to paid sexual services, and gratification of S$50 as inducements to let him go.

The officers rejected the bribes and the man was subsequently arrested for attempting to bribe police officers.

The man will be charged in court on Monday (Jul 13).

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 13, 2015
Think Before You Rush For A Degree

Parents and students eyeing a berth in one of the six local universities cheered the news that a record number of applicants was admitted this year.

Some 15,000 polytechnic graduates and A-level school leavers won a place for the new academic year, 1,000 more than last year, raising the age group’s rate of entry into university to 32 per cent.

The Ministry of Education said it was on track to reach its target cohort participation rate of 40 per cent by 2020.

No doubt, having a degree has always increased the prospects of better-paying jobs. The latest graduate employment survey released early this year showed median salary levels for the class of 2013 rose to $3,200 from $3,050 the year before.

The employment rate of degree holders also remained high, with close to nine in 10 finding jobs within six months of graduation.

Whether this will still be the case a few years from now remains to be seen.

Elsewhere, such as in South Korea and Taiwan, a glut of graduates followed the liberalisation of universities, resulting in increasing under- and unemployment of degree holders.

Social economists like Mr Phillip Brown from the United Kingdom argue that the conventional wisdom that a degree equals higher earnings does not hold true any more, when employers can scour the world to find the highest skills they can get for the least amount of money. This creates a sort of worldwide auction for high-skill, low-wage work.

As government officials have stressed, school leavers would do well not to blindly rush into a degree course before they figure out where their interests and talents lie. Some may even want to go out to work to hone their skills and understand the demands of the marketplace first.

Then, when they finally enter university, they would be better able to match their education with their career goals. When their talent can align with real-world needs, graduates would find that they have a better chance of success.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 13, 2015
The Cost Of Disposing Durian Husk During Durian Season

Durian season is in full swing and this year’s bumper crop means booming business for durian sellers. However, stall owners face hidden costs, as they have to fork out more cash to dispose of the durian husks.

Every day, workers at a stall in Geylang fill up four huge bins with durian husks. Each bin can accommodate about 120 kilogrammes of durian husks. Having extra bins during peak season means the stall pays about S$1,300 each month to have them disposed of – three times what it usually pays for waste collection.

There’s no way to avoid such costs, especially when most customers prefer to have their purchased durians opened and packed before they take the fruit home.

“We cannot force them to take the whole durian,” said the owner of Fruit Stop 1, Mr Teoh See Yong. “If they drive here, we suggest to them to take the whole durian home, rather than having the meat put in Styrofoam boxes.”

Typically, durian stalls are charged more for waste collection, based on the number and size of the bins needed.

It is a similar situation for one durian stall owner in Katong. He has been paying between S$600 and S$1,000 each month to get rid of the durian husks. During non-peak season, he would typically pay slightly more than S$100.

“If everybody takes durians with the husks, it will lower our costs,” said Mr Wong Yew Loon, the owner of stall 227 Katong Durian. “It will save our time, save our labour and save the price that it costs to get people to throw away the husks. It’s good to have everybody bring back the whole durian.”

SembWaste says it sees around 30 per cent more durian waste during the peak season of May to July, both from households and commercial stalls.

Member of Parliament Edwin Tong, who oversees part of Geylang, says there has been a noticeable increase in durian waste recently, particularly in the common bins near durian stalls.

However, he pointed out that, as the increase has not been overwhelming, the town council has been able to absorb it.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 13, 2015
Shakir Juanda Receives Singapore Youth Award For Efforts Promoting Silat

Five youths and one youth organisation received this year’s Singapore Youth Award at a presentation ceremony held at the Victoria Concert Hall on Jul 12.

Awarded by the National Youth Council, the accolade is the nation’s highest for youth. It recognises individuals and teams who have excelled in their fields and have made significant contributions to society.

SECOND CHANCES

The recipients include Josephus Tan, who chairs several community projects for the Law Society of Singapore, including one which offers legal advice to sex workers. The teenage rebel-turned-lawyer said it was not by chance that his life’s journey lay around the theme of second chances.

Then a delinquent son, his family gave him one such chance to study law. His sense of purpose renewed, he went on to use his knowledge for the benefit of society, clocking over 5,000 pro bono hours over six years.

“When you have something like that, a miracle, I think that it comes with a special mission, so what I do is no longer a job. I see it as a mission,” said Tan. “I never believe in luck so I never believe that I’m just very lucky. I think that now that I’m given this second chance, I should actually use my story to inspire the future generation, to pay it forward.

“Regardless of what you do, whether it’s in law, medicine, sports or the arts, whatever it is, if you can and you have the chance, you got to pass forward the message to future generations, so that we can continue to bond people. And when you bond people, that is when you actually forge a nation.

INSPIRING STUDENTS

Silat champion Muhammad Shakir Juanda said he would put his award to good use.

He was conferred the award for taking home a string of medals – including four SEA Games medals and the Silat World Championship gold medal in 2012 – and his work at schools to inspire students to achieve their dreams.

“After winning this award, it opens a wide variety of opportunities for me to help give back to the community,” said Shakir. “A lot of people have given me name cards and everything, saying ‘hey I have this kind of student, can you help them and give them motivational talks’.”

The other individual winners are artist and filmmaker Brian Gothong Tan, chemical engineer and community engagement activist Dr Chew Jia Wei, and musician Yang Ji Wei.

Yang fell in love with the Sheng while he was still in primary school and was so inspired by the sounds of the traditional Chinese wind instrument, that mastering it alone was not enough.

He has taken it as his personal mission to make sure the ancient instruments sound modern and not forgotten and is nurturing a new generation of young musicians eager to push the boundaries of Chinese classical music.

“Very few people learn to appreciate this music,” said Yang. “For me, I hope that I can spread this instrument by giving it a new lease of life.

“I hope, actually, one day to see my students or people that I’ve mentored before be able to carry on the legacy of the work that I do. That is my dream actually, so that the instruments will not be forgotten and continue to evolve and be relevant in today’s society.

The National University of Singapore’s Students Against Violation of the Earth (NUS SAVE) received the team award for its outstanding environmental conservation efforts.

The team worked with the university administration to roll out several environmental projects on campus, and has been represented in major events beyond the campus, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, as well as Earthwatch Study Trips to Puerto Rico, Nova Scotia and Churchill.

MAKING THE FULLEST OUT OF LIFE

Also recognised on Sunday was former award winner Lina Chong.

Despite her battles with ill health since age 17, the grassroots leader tirelessly devoted herself towards youth leadership and community development even after winning the award in 2009.

Tapping the opportunities provided to her when she was awarded the Singapore Youth Award in 2009, she went on to advocate for youth and represented their voices on platforms such as the 17th ASEAN Youth Day Meeting in 2011.

For her efforts, she was awarded several accolades, including the National Day Award Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2012. On Sunday she received the Medal of Commendation – awarded to former SYA recipients who have contributed to society for at least five years after they were conferred the award.

“Because of my medical conditions, if this is going to be the last day of my life, I will make the fullest out of it,” said Ms Chong.

“It’s really important to pay it forward, because the next generation of Singapore depends on all of you – the young people out there. Without you continuing to serve the community, without you coming forward to lead Singapore, our good work will actually go to waste.”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 13, 2015