SAF Ward @Alexander Hospital: For NS Psychological Patients?
-
Refer:
http://sgforums.com/forums/1390/topics/466679
There is a process to be warded at the SAF ward, or get a SAF psychiatrist appointment via the MO.
You will must see your MO and get a referral to see the psychiatrist in order to stay at the SAF ward.
Even then, the SAF psychiatrist will read thoroughly all your report sick medical records via the centralised computer system to decide if he really need to see you or not.
Most of the time for cases deemed mild to moderate, he will not see you personally but instead refer you to the SAF counselling centre for follow up.
The SAF psychiatrist would only see people who have strong recommendations, genuine psychological crisis where he really must look into in depth.
-
The Military Medicine Institute (MMI) was established in March 1998 to provide Specialist Medical and Dental services to the SAF personnel. In 1999, Medical Board Centre and SAF Ward came under the umbrella of MMI. In Dec 2003, Military Medicine Institute, together with Tanglin Physiotherapy Centre, relocated to DSO(Kent Ridge) Building.
Our Vision
To be the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Military Medicine.
Our Mission
To ensure efficient sustenance of SAF fighting strength through delivery of quality healthcare in areas of Specialist Medical and Dental Care, Medical Grading, and In-Patient Care.
Our Roles
Through the provision of specialised medical/dental services and in-patient care, MMI serves the SAF by optimising the treatment and recovery of servicemen with significant medical problems. This will translate to operational readiness of the SAF units as well as improved well-being of the individuals in the SAF.
Timely medical grading of servicemen allows personnel to be deployed effectively in service while minimising impact on operational readiness and personal health.
Services available:
- Cardiopulmonary Lab
- Deployment Medicine
- Dermatology
- Ear, Nose and Throat
- Internal Medicine
- Medical Grading
- Occupational Medicine
- Orthopaedics
- Ophthalmology
- Psychological Care
- Specialist Dental Centre
- Sports Medicine -
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): 1800-2214444
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-2837019
Sage Counselling Centre: 1800-5555555
Care Corner Mandarin Counselling: 1800-3535800
-
NS have counselling hotlines for you to call if need arises.
The counsellors are experienced professionals.You can call them at the following counselling hotlines:
- SAF : 1800-278 0022 (SAF Counselling Hotline)
- SPF : 1800-255 1151 (Police Psychology Service Department)
- SCDF: 1800-286 6666 (SCDF Counselling Hotline)
If you think you have been treated unfairly, you can bring up the case to your Commander. We will listen to your case. Do remember to bring along all facts and supporting documents.
We will do our best to address your concerns. Servicemen are to seek redress through proper channels. Together, we can address your issue more expeditiously.
================================================================
COUNSELLING
The SAF seeks to promote the well-being of every serviceman by providing
counselling support for those whom might be facing difficulties coping with their
personal or work/training related problems. Servicemen who are experiencing
difficulties can seek help through the avenues described below.
Commander interviews of all recruits are conducted within 48 hours of enlistment into full-time NS. Regular interviews are subsequently conducted on a monthly basis during the PTP/BMT phase. Special interviews are also granted upon request. Servicemen can highlight their difficulties during these interviews for assistance.
Orientation Officers identify, assist and counsel BMT recruits with adjustment
and/or other personal problems.
NS SAF Counselling Hotline is a 24-hour confidential telephone
counselling service provided by the SAF Counselling Centre. Manned by
trained counselling personnel, the SAF Counselling Hotline offers a crisis
and telephone counselling service to all servicemen. Callers may
choose to remain anonymous. Face to face counselling is also available
at the SAF Counselling Centre upon request/referral.
SAF Paracounselling Scheme complements other existing counselling
services and provides another avenue of help at the unit level for those who
need help to deal more effectively with their problems. Paracounsellors are
specially selected, trained by and work closely under the professional guidance
and support of counsellors from the SAF Counselling Centre. Paracounsellors
can be identified through their identification badges as well as through publicity
posters displayed in their units.================================================================
Being psychologically prepared is all about knowing what to expect and being prepared for it.
To be better prepared, you can participate in Total Defence activities and Open Houses organised by the SAF/SPF/SCDF.
Perhaps you should also talk to your family members and friends who have lived the NS experience. The more you discuss with others, the more comfortable and mentally prepared you’ll become.
Because NS life is different from civilian life before enlistment, there are many adjustments you need to make.
A good way to cope is to get support from your buddy and fellow recruits. They are going through the same tough training as you, so talking to one another will help relieve some tension.
In most evenings during your leisure time, you’ll also have some time to call your family or loved ones to talk. They can give you emotional support during NS.
You can have a one-on-one interview sessions with your officer to highlight any problems you may have. If you have a personal or family problem that need to be addressed, do let the officer know—he may be able to give you some advice or time off to settle your problems.
Life in NS revolves around structure, routine and discipline. This helps us stay united as a uniformed organisation as well as imparts the rigours necessary to protect our nation and citizens.
This does not mean there is just work and no play. In fact, after a few weeks in NS and you’ll find new friends and new reasons to smile!
As a soldier, one of the biggest adjustments you’ll have to make quickly is in regimentation and discipline.
Being in a uniformed organisation, you’ll have to obey orders from your superiors. Thus some of you may feel a sudden lack of freedom to do what you want and you may find yourself having difficulties accepting authority initially.
Regimentation and discipline build strong character and toughness, so that you’ll be tough enough to handle difficult combat, crime-fighting or rescue situations without giving up or breaking down.
When you first enlist into NS, you may have concerns of being in a new territory, with new faces and new things to do. But don’t let this get to you. Just remember the saying that “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”.
Following are some tips on what you can do to prepare yourself psychologically:
- Adopt a positive perception
- Build up physical stamina
- Develop good working attitude and habits
- Overcome psychological stress
- Adopt teamwork spirit
- Learn to be independent
- Set realistic expectations
You can also speak to your friends or family members who have been through NS. Ask them to share their stories. The sharing will help you reduce some of your fears, uncertainties and doubts.
During NS you’ll be living with different people.
Because these people come from different backgrounds, they may not think like you do or react to situations like you would. Instead of trying to select your type of people, you should cherish the diversity. This is a chance for you to learn more about your fellow mates and their cultures.
You’ll find that you have many opportunities to absorb the different cultures—during training, eating, chatting or just seeing and listening. Take these opportunities and learn from people around you, you’ll have a much better appreciation of Singapore’s cultural diversity.
-
Refer: www.imh.com.sg
The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is a 2,000-bed acute tertiary psychiatric hospital situated on a 25-hectare campus at Buangkok Green Medical Park. Set amidst serene surroundings, IMH offers a comprehensive range of psychiatric, rehabilitative and counselling services for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.IMH’s tradition of care started in 1928. We were the first mental hospital in Singapore, starting with some 1,000 patients. Since then, many advances have been made in treatment, training, and research. Our treatment integrates evidence-based therapies, supported by the departments of clinical psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, and medical social work, to provide holistic care for our patients. IMH is equipped with modern facilities, with 50 wards for inpatients and seven Specialist Outpatient Clinics.
IMH was the first mental health institution in Asia to receive the Joint Commission International Accreditation in 2005, a highly coveted international accreditation for healthcare organisations.
Over the years, IMH has gained a reputation for quality research. In 2008, the Ministry of Health, Singapore, entrusted IMH with a S$25 million research grant to implement translational and clinical research into the causes of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
IMH also plays a key role in training the next generation of mental health professionals in Singapore. We train psychiatrists and mental health professionals through the NHG-AHPL Residency Programme for psychiatry and through collaborations with the local tertiary institutions.
Address
Buangkok Green Medical Park
10 Buangkok View
Singapore 539747
If you are facing a mental health crisis, please call our Crisis Helpline at 6389 2222 or seek medical help at our 24-hour Emergency Services located in our hospital. -
Officially unveiled on 11 Jun 2004, the SAF Military Medicine Institute (MMI) in the new DSO (Kent Ridge) Building aims to provide specialised health care and medical grading for servicemen. Billed as the Centre of Excellence in clinical military medicine, MMI promises professional treatment and quality service to sustain the fighting strength of the SAF.
The conceptualisation of MMI started in 1995, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and MINDEF seeking closer collaboration. The idea was to locate this facility together with a hospital to maximise expertise and resources.
The SAF also recognised the need to provide secondary level medical care tailored to military vocation.
"It was conceptualised this way, but obviously it couldn't start big at that time, so we started on a smaller scale at different locations," recalled Deputy Commander MMI, LTC (Dr) Fan Swee Weng.
In the early days, the various clinics and services were operated from three different locations: Loewen Road Camp, Depot Road Camp and Alexandra Hospital.
Last December, all these clinics and offices came under one roof at the DSO (Kent Ridge) Building - with the exception of in-patient care for psychiatric patients, which remains at Alexandra Hospital.
"It was a great opportunity to maximise all our resources and put together all these capabilities to harness and maximise what each of these services can provide," LTC (Dr) Fan (left) enthused.
MMI, a sub-unit of Headquarters, SAF Medical Corps (HQMC), is responsible for the provision of pre-deployment medical services, musculo skeletal injury care, psychological, trauma and stress support, visual care and performance enhancement, as well as cardio-pulmonary assessment.