History: Expanded

1990 ~ 1999, 2000 ~ 2009

2000

  • Senior Staff Nurse Tay Lee Hua of Changi General Hospital was awarded 3 months overseas training scholarships in Urology / Continence Management in Westmead Hospital and Community Health Services, Australia.
  • Treatment guidelines for the management of Primary Nocturnal Enuresis has been published and circulated to all pediatricians in Singapore. This project is collaboration between Society for Continence (Singapore), Academy of Medicine and Singapore Paediatric Society.
  • Publications: The 2nd edition of Clinical Handbook on “Management of Incontinence” has been published and well received by the local and overseas medical professionals. This Book is the only available for “Continence Management” in this part of the world.
  • Research Award: Two applicants were awarded the Research Awards. Dr Pearllyn Quek of Changi General Hospital and Dr Marie Carmella Lapitan of Philippines General Hospital were the recipients.
  • A 3 days course on “Contemporary Management of Incontinence” was conducted or Nurses in March 2000 at Changi General Hospital.

2001

  • National Survey on “Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women”
    The National Survey on “Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women” is a joint project with Clinical Trial Epidemiology Research Unit (CTERU) of Ministry of Health, Changi General Hospital’s Urology Department and the Society for Continence (Singapore). The pilot study commenced some time in November 2001. A total of 2000 women subjects randomly selected would be interviewed by the research nurses of the CTREU. The study will be conducted in II Phases.
  • Free – Treatment for patients
    Forty patients were given free treatment on our “Extracorporeal treatment Equipment” in year 2001. Each patient has do undergo 18 sessions at 20 minutes per session treatment. Each session cost S$30.00 x 18 sessions equals to S$54.00 per patient. Therefore total sum incurred for forty patients is S$21,600. A paper has been accepted for presentation in this year’s ICS meeting to be held at Germany. “Efficiency of Extracorporeal magnetic innervations in incontinence: A symptomatic assessment”.
  • To strengthen the networking of the Asian Continence Groups with the rest of the world, APCAB organised a workshop on “Networking” for the ICS Continence Promotion Committee is Seoul, on 18th September 2001. A total of 10 continence organisations from 10 different countries presented their work.
  • Guidelines for “Managing Urinary Incontinence” A Guideline Committee has been formed to look into “Managing Urinary Incontinence”. This Committee will draw up guidelines on how to manage urinary incontinence and would make recommendation to Ministry of Health, Singapore for standard practice. This project is joint effort between the Society for Continence (Singapore), Singapore Urological Association, Paediatric Association of Singapore, Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore, Society for Geriatric Medicine and the Singapore Physiotherapists Association.
  • The Society in conjunction with the 2nd Biennial Asian Surgical Association Meeting organized a 2 days workshop on “Female Urology – Pelvic Floor Workshop” at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore during 2 & 3 November 2001. About 70 participants comprising doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and continence advisors from the region attended.
  • Organised a Public Forum on Bladder Disorders on 23rd June 2001 at the Sheraton Hotel. Some 900 people attended. The event was organized with food and free admission.
  • CMI held from 14 – 16 March @ CGH for nurses of Singapore.

2002

  • A publicity campaign was exercised together with Tran Island Bus Service information about incontinence problem and cure. This project was launched as a public education programme. Tran Island Buses carried the informatory metal plate in the Buses throughout the year. The project cost the Society sum S$48,000. As a result of this publicity, approximately 2.000 people from the general public responded and sought help from the Society.
  • Organised a Public Seminar on “Women’s Health” on 25th May 2002 at PUB Auditorium. Some 500 people from the public attended.
  • Primary Nocturnal Enuresis Treatment Guidelines
    The guidelines for the Management of Nocturnal Enuresis has been published and circulated to all Pediatricians in Singapore. This project was joint collaboration between Society for Continence (Singapore), Academy of Medicine and Singapore Paediatric Society.
  • Publications
    The 2nd edition of Clinical Handbook on “Management of Incontinence” has been published and well received by the local and overseas medical professionals. It was reported that $7,000 worth of books has been sold in the year 2001. The Society plans to sell the book at the forthcoming APCAB/ASFU Meeting at Kuala Lumpur in August 2002.
  • Movie – “Dirty Laundry”
    Another joint project of the Society for Continence (Singapore) with and National University of Singapore a movie was produced and screened at the Golden Village theatre at the New World City between 18 – 24 March 2002. A romantic comedy revolves round a young-adult suffering from bedwetting. Golden theatre group screened this movie in all their outlets end of 2002. This movie was aimed as a public awareness/education programme.
  • Research Award Program
    Two applicants were awarded the Research Awards. Dr Mela Lapitan was awarded $3,000 and Dr Pearllyn Quek was awarded $5,000 for their projects. This biennial award is open to all medical professionals in Singapore.
  • College of Family Physicians & SFCS – Survey
    The Society and the College of Family Physicians are jointly conducting a survey to know the family physician’s perception of “incontinence patients”. This project will run through year 2002. The excerpt of this study will be presented at the forthcoming ICS meeting I Germany. Based on the results of this study the SCFS is planning to organize a practical session on Urodynamics for GPs to improve their diagnostic rate of incontinence patients as well as to improve their knowledge in incontinence. The “Incontinence
    and its Management in Singapore”
  • National Survey on “Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women” is exercised as a joint project between the CTREU of Ministry of Health, Changi General Hospital and the Society for Continence. Research nurses of CTREU will interview a total of 2,500 female subject’s aged between 20-65 randomly selected. The study to be conducted in 2 phases:
    • Phase I : face to face interview
    • Phase II: urodynamics investigation procedure

A total sum of S$150,000 has been budgeted for this project and the project would run through 2004.

  • Two Public Forums were organised at the PUB auditorium for General Public in the month of May and October 2002.

2003

  • Contemporary Management of Incontinence Course
    CMI course was postponed from April 2003 to October 2003. CMI course was well attended by some 60 nurses from Singapore Restructured Hospitals and a few from Malaysia.
  • Public Forum
    A Public Forum was organised on 25th October 2003 at the Singapore Power House Auditorium. Some 250 members of the public attended.

Due to Sars epidemic first eight months of activities were cancelled.

2004

  • The Society donated 40 commode wheelchairs to the Handicap Welfare Association from & Society for the physically handicapped.
  • Publications
    Hand book on “Feacal Incontinence” for patients has been published this year March (2004)
  • Toilet Sticker Project
    Toilet sticker Project could not take as per schedule to SARS epidemic in Singapore in year 2003. Blessing in disguise, Restroom Association managed to peck the project with “Singapore O.K.” which is a project designed by National Environment Agency (NEA) to promote clean toilets. NEA has come out with a project call TUP, meaning Toilet Upgrading Programme. As phase I, 3,000 toilets in Hawker Centres and Kopitiams will carry our sticker. Restroom Assn then would persuade other privately managed public access toilets e.g. MRT, Bus interchange, Tourist Spots etc.
  • National Survey on “Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women”
    The National Survey on “Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women” is a joint project with Clinical Trial Epidemiology Research Unit (CTERU) of Ministry of Health, Changi General Hospital and the Society for Continence (Singapore). The pilot study commenced in November 2001. A total number of 2,000 women subjects age from 20-60 randomly selected would be interviewed by the research nurses of the CTERU. The study will be conducted in II Phases.
    • Phase I : face to face interview
    • Phase II: urodynamics investigation procedure

The results will be submitted to Ministry of Health. This will help the authority to provide treatment subsidy for Singaporeans in future.

We intend to complete the survey by November 2004. The press conference, which was scheduled to be held on 16th April 2003, was postponed to 19th April 2004.

  • Incontinence Management Component – NYP
    The CMI course has been officially handed over to Nanyang Polytechnic and would commence in January 2006. This has to be considered has an achievement as the Society has been training medical professionals in Singapore for the past 12 years. It is finally got government recognition and regarded as a specialty for nurses.
  • Guidelines for Treating Incontinence
    Guidelines Committee last met on 20th November 2002, the subsequent meetings were cancelled due to SARS and would be meeting on 1st week of May 2004.
  • Cancellation for Treating Incontinence
    • Public Forum / Road Show on “Healthy Minds, Health Living 2003” (15th June 2003)
    • Public Forum on Health Issues and Aging (2nd August 2003)
    • Pelvic Floor Exercise / Workshop
  • New Dimension
    Published – 2 issues per year. We have published 43 issues of the above mentioned magazine from 1992 – 2005.
  • Dr Ee Chye Hua represented us at the International Continence Society’s 2003 annual meeting held in Florence, Italy in October 2003 and he would also represent us at the 3rd International Consultation on Incontinence meeting scheduled be held in June 2004 in Monaco. This project is a collaboration between the International Continence Society and World Health Organisation.
  • 3 papers were presented at the First Pan-Arab Continence Congress, in Cairo, Egypt in 2004. The papers
    are:
  1. Prevalence of Overactive bladder in Singapore
  2. Age-specific prevalence of overactive bladder in tertiary care institutions of Asia and
  3. The influence of extracorporeal magnetic innervations on improvement of urinary incontinence
    symptoms.
  • The Society participated the Asian Congress of Urology meeting in Hong Kong.

2005

  • Organised “Urinary Incontinence Awareness Day” a road show to reach out to the Heart Landers of the Republic of Singapore. The event was jointly organised by us and the Singapore to Urological Association at the HDB Hub, Toa Payoh. Some 2,000 people turned up at the road show. The road show was held from 12 noon to 5.00pm on 5th March 2005. During the event, various activities were held to educate the public in a simple method. There were skids, information brochures, educational placards and scientific posters, an impromptu question and answer session with professional explanations and experiences, from Drs from Changi General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Singapore General Hospital. Lifestyle changes, in view of quality of life in incontinent patients were highlighted by them.
  • The Society organised Health Talks at the Feng Shan Community Club & Nee Soon East Community Club. This was as organized as part of the South West CDC event.
  • The Society also took part in the “My Environment Shines” healthy living Campaign launched by the South West CDC in April 2005. Some 5,000 people attended this health fair and 19 other health care providers, schools and commercial organizations participated in this event.
  • A public seminar on Bedwetting – the Facts on 27th August 2005 at the Power House Auditorium. The Forum addressed several issues; such as Approach to a child with problem of bedwetting, Diagnosis and treatment options in children. Visiting Professor Jens Peter Norgaard was the invited speaker from Sweden.
  • Society for Continence (Singapore) has been constantly engaging itself in community-based programmes since its inception. It has embarked on an in-service training programme on incontinence for nurses and caregivers in nursing homes. Training sessions in 5 nursing homes has been conducted in 2005 and 12 nursing homes has been scheduled for year 2006.
  • National Survey on “Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Singapore Women” was completed in 2005. Analysis of the data is in progress.
  • The Society took part in “Asian Society for Female Urology” scientific meeting in Bangkok.
  • 2 issues of “New Dimension” has been published for 2005 and circulated to 4,600 SMA members and 3,000 copies to SNA members and 800 copies to all Community Clubs.
  • SFCS also published the publication on “Female Urology”. This book was contributed by authors from all of Asia.
  • A 3 days course on the Clinical Practice of Urodynamics Hand-on Workshop was organised for Hospital / Medical Institutions based doctors and nurses. Prof. Derek Griffths, PhD, was invited to conduct this workshop from Canada in February 2005. Some 70 medical professionals attended this workshop.

2006

  • A 3 days course On “Faecal Incontinence” for doctors and nurses were conducted as a CNE Programme. Some 75 doctors and nurses attended this course. Prof. Christine Norton from U. K. was invited as a special tutor for this course. This course was awarded 6 CME points & 6 CNE points by the Singapore Medical Council and by the Singapore Nursing Board respectively.
  • The Society running projects in educating the incontinence sufferers, caregivers, nurses and doctors, now it has embarked in an in-service training programme on incontinence for nurses and caregivers in nursing homes. SFCS conducted in-service training programme in 12 nursing homes for 2006. Many nursing homes expressed keen interest to learn about the latest techniques and methods available to manage incontinence. So, that the residents can benefit and feel more comfortable and confident. This programme was awarded 2 CNE points by the Singapore Nursing Board.
  • One issue of “New Dimension” was printed and circulated free of charge to 4,800 SMA members & 3,000 SNA members and, Medical Institutions, Nursing Homes, Aged Homes, Community Centers and etc.
  • SFCS translated the “Contemporary Management of Incontinence” clinical hand-book in Bahasa Melayu. This book is to help the Malay community to understand incontinence.
  • Strait Times “Mind Your Body” covered SFCS twice in November 2006 over Nocturnal Polyuria & Diural Polyuria.
  • Our helpline approximately handled 600 calls from the public addressing, Urinary Incontinence, Feacal Incontinence, Nocturnal Polyuria, and Bedwetting for year 2006.

2007

  • CME Events
    Our Society’s Continence Nurses were invited by the Continence Foundation of Malaysia. The 3 day “Continence Care Workshop” was held at the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Our local team comprised Nurse Clinicians, Ms Tay Lee Hua, CGH, Ms Heng Lee Choo, TTSH, Ms Tan Joon Cheen, Alexandra Hospital and Ms Chia Hwee Huang from IMH.
  • The Society and Pfizer Pte Ltd jointly organized a CME seminar on “OAB” on the 5th March 2007 for medical professionals. Dr David Sussman was invited as a key-note speaker from USA.
  • The Society and Pharmaforte Singapore organized a CME talk for doctors and nurses to update the knowledge about the latest drugs availability to the medical professionals on 8th September 08 at the Orchard Hotel. Professor Schahnaz Alloussi, Chief of the Department of urology, Academic Hospital, Neunkirchen, Germany was specially invited to deliver the lecture and to present his findings on the new OAB drug “Propiverine”.
  • 2 talks on pelvic floor training was jointly organized by us and the Emmanuel Physiotherapy Pte ltd for the employees of Schering Plough Ltd at their factory sites on 20th and 25th September 2007.
  • In Service CNE program
    In-service training program on “Feacal & Urinary Incontinence” for nurses a the nursing homes were conducted on Saturdays over a period of 4 months. NO Chia Hwee Huang provided the tutorials and the programme was sponsored by SCA Hygiene. Logistics were facilitated by our society’s staff. Spore Nursing Board awarded 2 CNE points for this program. Approximately 500 nurses from 7 nursing homes
    were trained in year 2007.
  • New Dimension
    Two issues of “New Dimension” was published and circulated free of charge to 4,800 SMA members & 3,000 SNA members. Other areas of circulation were; Nursing/Aged Homes, Community Centers, Medical Institutions etc., We have published 48 issues from 1992-2007.
  • CPG – “Management of Urinary Incontinence
    CPG committee met and finalized the frame work of the clinical guidelines on “Management of UI”. The
    publication has been scheduled to be launched in July 2008.
  • The Society had its get-together event among its teaching faculty members in October 07 at the Kuishinbo Japanese Restaurant.
  • ICS-CPC
    Ms Rani presented a paper on “Urinary Incontinence Day” at the EAU-Continence Promotion Committee in Berlin, March 2007. This special meeting was initiated by ICS to form a team to work on the “World Continence Day”. All national organisations’ representatives world-wide were present at this meeting to provide their experience/expertise to establish a frame work for this event. Our Executive Committee brainstormed the issue and came out with ideas for Ms Rani to present at the next CPC meeting. The official dates of the “World Continence Day/Week” would be announced at the ICS-Cairo meeting in October 2008.
  • Code of Governance for Charities & IPCS
    Several meeting were held by MOH with regard to the new Code of Governance for IPCs to comply and implement. With reference to this issue, our Society applied for the VWOs-Chairities Capability Fund (VCF) to draw up our Code of Governance. The application was successful and the funding amount of S$19,859.20 granted is based on 80% of the supported cost of S$24,824 and the review shall be based on the new Code of Governance published on 26 November 2007.
  • Charitable Items
    Five nursing homes appealed for donation of aids and applicances. After a careful study of the homes, three nursing homes were short listed. They were: Ju Eng Home for Sr Citizens, St Theresa’s Home and Ling Kwang Home for Sr Citizens. These are homes which the Society runs in-service training programs for nurses and care-givers.