MCV - MINISTER LIM SWEE SAY - STN 1B / 2

Minister Lim Swee Say next stop of visit - Station 1B is St Hilda's Community Services Centre.

Minister and entourage were greeted with Welcome Cheer by Senior Residents at centre entrance. They were led into the centre to view the activities while they interact with the centre's residents and volunteers. They were enlightened with different activities, which are conducted for the residents like:

• "Coffee Bin programme for Senior Citizen"


• MaxiMums Programme for Mothers


• "I Can Club Programme for Children"


• Joy Heart Club

The Minister and the Entourage then proceed out to the void deck next to the centre to view exercise activities:

• Golden Oldies Exercise


• Ready Steady Go - Exercise Programme for Wheelchair Bound)

Before the Minister leave St Hilda's Community Service Centre, he was presented with a painting of old Tanjong Rhu.

The Entourage proceed to Station 2 @ Kallang Estate Market by coach, they tour through Meyer Road, Tanjong Katong Road, Dunman Road, Guillemard Road, Cassia Link and Jalan Empat. They were provided with the profile of the estate along this route.

The Minister and Entourage were welcome at Kallang Estate Market (Jalan Empat) by the Dragon Dance and Lion Dance Performance.

After watching a short performance by group of children, they stopped by to watch the Children Art Contest in progression, they also interact with the residents. Minister was presented with a paper aeroplane model made by the children.

Minister and Entourage then tour the market and food centre and interact with the shopkeepers, stall holders and residents.

The Entourage left Kallang Estate Market and Proceed to Station 3 at Pebble Bay Condominium at Tanjong Rhu by coach.

MINISTER VISIT TO PEBBLE BAY CONDOMINIUM -MCV STN 3

Minister Lim Swee Say and Entourage arrived at Pebble Bay Condominium, Tanjong Rhu, the Station 3 of the Ministerial Community Visit to Mountbatten Constituency.

The Minister and Entourage were welcomed by Bhangra Dance Performance and received by Chairmen, Chairperson and members of the Neighbourhood Committee (NC) in Mountbatten and MCST members.

Everyone proceed to the open space next to poolside to join the residents in Pebble Bay Carnival Fair. Whoa!! it is quite unusual to expect residents in Private Estates to gather together to organise a Carnival Fair, and the turn out is very welcoming.

The Entourage sat down in the open field in front of a stage, where we were entertained by the performance of Percussion Drumming, which is formed by the residents of Pebbles Bay Condominium.

Minister Lim was then invited to gave away prizes for winners of the Children's Colouring Contest and Kite Making Competition.

The Minister and the MPs interact and have photo sessions with the residents, who are multi-nationalities hailing from New Zealand, Australia, USA, Germany and other nationalities and Singaporeans.

The Entourage then proceed to the Station 4 and final station at Katong Community Centre for the Dialogue Session with Minister.

The Day I Fluffed @ Media Release

On 5th June (Tues), I had to attend a Media Release on the Ministerial Community Visit (MCV) @ Mountbatten - 24th June 2007 (Sun). The Minister visiting will be Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister (Prime Minister's Office).


The Media Release started at 9.25am at Katong Community Centre, well attended by all representatives of the media. Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC & Adviser to Marine Parade GRC Grassroots' Organisation, hosted the Media Release.


Mr Lim Biow Chuan provided the media with a run up about the profiles of the constituents in Mountbatten. Mr Lim also introduced the various activities of the Grassroot Organisations in Mountbatten. Mountbatten constituency will also be celebrating its 50th year anniversary (1957 to 2007). The 50th Year Anniversary's Logo will be officially unveiled by the Minister Lim Swee Say during his visit.


When Mr Lim touched on the Befrienders' Scheme, all the media representatives were excited. Many questions were asked, it almost turned it to a Befrienders' affair. The Befrienders' Scheme was introduced by Mr Lim Biow Chuan in Mountbatten, we recruited volunteers especially from the private estates, to help the under-privileged constituents, who had seek his help. This group of constituents are unable to qualify for any assistance or aid under the CDC Comcare or other official aid.


One of the main objectives of this Scheme is to built up close rapport with these residents, visiting them at least once in 2 to 3 weeks, building up a 'buddy' system, monitoring the help they need and the deliveries achieved. We will try to get help from any resources to help those genuinely in need. We strive to achieve to help them 'to learn to fish themselves, instead of only providing them with fish'.


As I was the sole member of the Befrienders' present, I was swarmed with interviews by the media representives, maybe the next popular interviwee, after MP Lim. When I was interviewed on camera for the CNA News, I was not nervous at all, but my mind was not very composed, ..... maybe I had not expected the limelight, ........ and had not intended to talk too long on camera.


When I was interviewed for the Chinese version of the interview, I was stuck, trying to find words to use. I could converse comfortably and fluently with my patients, clients or anyone in Mandarin, at any point of time. When I watched the News at Channel 8, I was very relieved that it had broadcast the interview in English rather than Mandarin.

What kind of consultation, you can expect from an Optometrist?

What kind of consultation you can expect from an Optometrist?

i) History Taking : Need to know your visual history, eg. trauma to eyes, treatment on squint etc

Patient family visual history, eg. Parent/sibling - treatment for retinal detachment or glaucoma etc

Patient medical condition and medical history, eg. Diabetic, hypertension etc

Age / Profession / Visual Need

ii) Vision Check : What patient can best see without visual aids or with existing aids.

iii) Vision Correction Measurement (Objective findings): Using of retinoscope to measure the optical error of patient eyes system.

iv) Vision Correction Measurement (Subjective findings): Fine tune with optical trial lens, to obtain best vision obtain on eyes chart.

v) External Eyes Examination: With the help of slit-lamp, examine and detect any anomalies from the front of eyes, ie. eyelids; corneal up to crystalline lens. It may detect foreign bodies on corneal; cataract – opacities of the lens; dry eyes syndrome; conjunctivitis etc.


vi) Internal Eyes Examination: Using ophthalmoscope, examine the eyes for anomalies of retinal – eg. Diabetic retinopathy; optic nerve head – glaucoma etc.

vii) Other Checks may include:
a) Tonometry – eyes intra ocular pressure (diagnosis of glaucoma)
b) Binocular Vision screening
c) Vision Field Screening
d) Colour Vision Screening
e) Low Vision screening

Optometrist and Optician Bill

Proceed to Suntec Convention Hall to participate in Forum Discussion, hosted by the Singapore Optometric Association.

The main agenda is to discuss on the introduction of the Optometrist and Optician Bill.

Next I proceed to Ministry of Health, College of Medicine Building, Conference Room, for Lunch Meeting at the invitation of Minister Khaw at 1pm sharp.

The invitees, 7 of us, consist of representatives from: Singapore Optometric Association, Singapore Contact Lens Society and Association Of Contact Lens Practitioners (Singapore) –ACLEP(S).

Minister Khaw was accompanied by Minister of State (Health), Mr Heng Chee How, Director of Medical Services Prof Satku, and a few other officials from MOH.

We were served 5 courses of healthy and delicious food.

Most of the discussion centered on the newly introduced Optometrist and Optician Bill. Minister Khaw and his officials gave us a better picture of how the Bill is introduced and the process in the administrating it.

Many Thanks to Minister Khaw and his officials, for the lunch invitation.

Reading Festival@Katong Community Centre

It was a busy day including a Lunch Meeting with Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

Starting the day @9am, accompanied our MP for Marine Parade GRC, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, in gracing the events of Reading Festival at Katong Community Club.

The cute little boys and girls are from all the kindergartens in Mountbatten Constituency, (PCF’s centers and School House by the Bay), went up on stage to tell stories.

They are later led to various classrooms to continue with story telling. Several popular mascots visit them in their classroom. The children are so adorable.

Many thanks to Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan

This is a Memorable Day for our Optometry Profession.

The Optometrists and Opticians Bill was introduced in Parliament, after advocating it for more than 30 years.

Many thanks to Minister of Health, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who agreed to consider the introduction of the Bill, after a few of us, representing the profession, met him two years ago.
Many of our population are still confused with the difference of the role between the optometrist and optician.

Optometrist, sometime also known as ophthalmic optician, is trained to assess and correct visual defect with optical or visual aids, and also to screen and diagnose any anomalies of the eyes, and to refer the patient to ophthalmologist for management and treatment when necessary.

Optician, sometimes also known as dispensing optician, is trained to fill and dispensed the necessary optical or visual aids as prescribed by the optometrist.

As the present pool of optometrists may be insufficient to take care of our present population, we agreed to allow those registered optician, who are untrained in optometry to continue checking the eyes of anyone above the age of 7 years old. The polytechnic will provide them with the training of eyes refraction.

http://www.parliament.gov.sg/