(Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Thanks to years of hard work, coupled with the establishment of a Free Clinic in Redhill and a Free Health Screening and Medical Clinic in Jurong East and the several overseas medical missions to Sri Lanka, the local medical community is now more familiar and better able to identify with Tzu Chi’s cause.
Throughout the years, the TIMA committee has held gathering sessions and tea parties to bond medical personnel and introduce Tzu Chi’s philosophy to them but the result has not been satisfactory due to the sessions’ unfixed timing. In order to attract more healthcare workers and to regularly share Tzu Chi’s updates with the members, the committee began making the gathering a monthly affair in June 2012 under the encouragement of TIMA’s volunteer advisor Brother Kenny Khoo.
On 29 July, a total of 84 medical personnel gladly set aside their commitments to spend a merry afternoon listening to early members of TIMA sharing their past and present.
Reminiscing the good old days
The gathering was held at the Tzu Chi Free Clinic at Redhill. With its central location, medical personnel on weekend duty can travel easily from their workplace to the clinic while those volunteering with the clinic’s Sunday service could conveniently set up the Western Medicine waiting area for the gathering.
At the start of the session, Dr Fong Poh Him, the pioneer member and present convener of TIMA Singapore, shared how he got to know Tzu Chi more than a decade ago when he and his wife were invited to volunteer at a Tzu Chi free clinic in Cebu, Philippines. The efficiency and discipline of the Tzu Chi volunteers in serving the poor impressed the plastic surgeon and led to his interest in Tzu Chi missions as well as a subsequent visit to Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan.
In 1998, after the anti-Chinese riots broke out in Jakarta, Tzu Chi Indonesia requested medical volunteers in Singapore to assist their medical services as they were convinced that “as long as the work of love is carried on, peace will come one day”. The exposure, coupled with gradual understanding of Tzu Chi’s values, prompted Dr Fong to push forward the establishment of the local TIMA team and TIMA Singapore was officially founded in 1999.
Back in the early days, TIMA mostly teamed up with Tzu Chi volunteers for overseas medical missions to Indonesian islands like Batam and Bintan. According to Dr Fong, the team also extended help to free clinics in Jakarta, Yogyakarta (capital of Java), the Philippines and etc. The old photos he brought along led everyone down the memory lane to relive the good old days of TIMA and the sight of him when he was young and with more hair drew roaring laughter from the floor.
Recently, under the company of anatomy professor Prof Ng Yee Kong, three medical students of the National University of Singapore have gone to Tzu Chi University to participate in its surgical simulation course. The respect and gratitude shown to the body donors throughout the anatomy course has apparently touched the students deeply.
Supranee Mathuprechakul, who is in Year 5, shared with the TIMA members, “In the past when we do dissection, we see the bodies as merely learning tools. Tzu Chi’s practice is different. Arrangements were made to visit the home and bond with the family of the body donors. We also learnt the life story of the donors from them.
“The next day when we walked into the dissection room, we no longer treat the bodies as learning tools, but with greater respect and gratitude. We’re grateful that these ‘Silent Mentors’ sacrificed their bodies for our learning so that we will not make mistakes on our future patients.”
At the end of the surgery course, students have to replace all the organs in the Silent Mentor’s body and suture it closed. They have to clean and dress the Silent Mentors before placing them in the coffin. The students would later participate in the funeral ceremony together with the family members.
So much emphasis has been placed on academic competitiveness and performance in our present society, which makes Tzu Chi University all the more unique in the sense that ethical and moral values such as compassion and humanity are cultivated amongst the students.
TIMA volunteer Low Peik Ching was put in charge of food and refreshments during the Tzu Chi-Yuhua Community Club health screening event on 4 July. Being a first timer and knowing that there were bound to be difficulties and challenges, the pharmacist bravely took up the task and saw to every detail of the workflow.
“If we never take the opportunity to shoulder responsibility, we do not know our capabilities to improve our flaws,” she quoted Master Cheng Yen’s Jing Si aphorism in her sharing.
Abbie Sim Shin Yueh, a dietitian by profession, shared with all her participation in Tzu Chi’s home visit programme. She said that such up close and personal contacts enable the medical team to understand the patient’s problem better from social to financial circumstances. “In that way, our care will not be limited to just dietary advice but is more comprehensive.”
Going from strength to strength
Dr Michelle Lee, a private physician, felt very much enriched by the gathering. “To have this gathering on a monthly basis is good because it actually reminds us of our motive and why we become doctors. Sometimes we just forget and think it’s just a profession. Actually it’s a way to contribute back to the community. The sharings in this gathering reflect the compassion that we’ve learnt and why we become a doctor in the first place,” said Dr Lee.
Looking back at TIMA Singapore’s milestones in the past decade, Brother Kenny Khoo reminisced, “We only had several volunteer surgeons when TIMA first started and we mainly helped to support medical missions of other countries. Years later we began organizing medical missions on our own and setting up free clinic centres locally. I’ve been hearing TIMA members telling me recently that they want to take up more responsibilities and delve deeper into Tzu Chi’s philosophy. That is why we initiated this gathering session for everyone. Hopefully we can attract more medical professionals to join us on Tzu Chi’s path.”
Brother Khoo’s sentiment was shared by Dr Eugene Tang, the convener of TIMA’s dental team. “From the time I first came into TIMA until now, TIMA Singapore has really progressed. It was like a little baby then but now it has grown to be like a little adult. Of course we haven’t quite matured yet – there’re still many areas we can improve – but I really see the big improvement and it’s a very poignant experience for me personally,” said the jovial Dr Tang with a smile.
The private dentist got to know Tzu Chi in 2004 at the wake of his late classmate Dr Ling Sing Yew. The fact that Dr Ling, being both a Christian and an active TIMA member with Tzu Chi before he succumbed to cancer, sparked Dr Tang’s interest in the Buddhist organization. Also a Christian believer, Dr Tang too is now actively involved in TIMA’s medical missions and clinic duties. He even took up the role of emcee for the monthly gathering and helped to set up the venue before everyone arrives that afternoon.
His comment during our interview generally summed up the TIMA committees’ expectation.
“TIMA members have always been involved in activities like health screening, going for medical missions etc. There’s very little time for us to sit down together and learn more about Tzu Chi. Being a part of Tzu Chi, we would like to be involved and learn the culture behind Tzu Chi and it is through these gathering and sharing that we are able to learn more. From there we can improve ourselves in terms of the culture so that we can actually spread this to other TIMA members.
“I think TIMA Singapore is a very united group, especially those who have come in young. They’re very energetic and we find that they actually put their heart, mind and soul into working for TIMA activities. I think this group of people is where we see the seeds growing in TIMA. We foresee that TIMA will grow from strength to strength based on the love and care they share to others.”
The TIMA members and volunteers did the sign language of ‘One Family’ together at the start of the gathering. (Photo by Yang Juan)
Dr Fong Poh Him, the pioneer member of TIMA Singapore, narrating on the “olden days” of the association. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Three Year 5 medical students from NUS presenting their learning journey in Tzu Chi University and Tzu Chi Hospital in Taiwan. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Despite being a rookie with Tzu Chi event, pharmacist Low Peik Ching gladly embraced her experience of coordinating the F&B needs of the Yuhua Community Club health screening service in early July. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Brother Kenny Khoo (centre) interacting with the TIMA members at the gathering. (Photo by Yang Juan)
Our CEO Brother Low Swee Seh (left) with TIMA dental team convener Dr Eugene Tang. Brother Low has made it a point to attend the TIMA gathering regularly to bond with the medical members. (Photo by Yang Juan)
Share 
