Centre at Woodlands clinic to be open to patients and residents
| By Lee Hui Chieh | ||
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The
first of its kind here, the gym in the polyclinic in Woodlands Street
31 will be open to both polyclinic patients and anyone else living
nearby. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
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RESIDENTS of Woodlands are getting a new gym in their neighbourhood - in Woodlands Polyclinic.
The first of its kind here, the gym in the polyclinic in Woodlands Street 31 will be open to not just polyclinic patients, but also anyone else living nearby.
For a yet-to-be-fixed subscription rate, gym users will be able to work out, lose weight and keep fit under the guidance of a fitness instructor. A physiotherapist will also be on hand to rehabilitate patients or elderly people with weak muscles or problems walking.
Those with chronic ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure usually also have weight problems. Such patients have asked polyclinic staff for help with exercise, said Dr Gowri Doraisamy, a consultant family physician who heads the polyclinic.
'Adding this fitness centre complements our services,' she said, adding that the facility is also aimed at encouraging people to exercise regularly to forestall chronic diseases that would require medical attention down the road.
The 186-sqm gym, expected to be fully operational by November, will be open in the evenings, beyond the polyclinic's operating hours, so office workers will be able to use it.
The subscription rate will be 'affordable' and lower than those charged by commercial gyms, Dr Gowri said.
The National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP), which runs the Woodlands Polyclinic, spent about $100,000 to convert part of the top floor of the three-storey building into the gym. It will spend another sum on equipping and running the gym jointly with commercial gym operator Dynaforce Club.
The gym was showcased yesterday at the official reopening of Woodlands Polyclinic, which has undergone a $4million renovation.
When the works were in progress between last November and January this year, patients went to a temporary clinic in Marsiling Community Club.
The upgraded polyclinic now has handrails along its walls to make it more elderly-friendly.
Retired teacher N. Krishna Samy, 63, a regular at the polyclinic since its opening 15 years ago, noted that improvements over the years have cut waiting time.
Since he began seeing a family physician who specialises in chronic diseases at the polyclinic two years ago for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, each visit has taken an hour instead of three.
Since January, waiting time for him has been shorter by another 15 minutes, now that the polyclinic has been outfitted with a new automated registration system for patients seeing family physicians specialising in chronic diseases.
He is also considering joining the new gym: 'As I'm on the heavy side, I wouldn't mind giving the gym a try but I'll have to see how much it costs first.'
Conveniences for patients aside, technical improvements will also make it better for the medical staff at the NHGP's nine polyclinics, the Woodlands one included.
More than a week ago, the NHGP introduced an electronic nursing record system in its polyclinics, which enables nurses to type their notes from counselling patients into an electronic database.
The notes, previously handwritten in patients' hard-copy case files, will be linked to each patient's electronic medical record in future.
These notes can be retrieved more quickly and are more legible than under the handwritten system, said Ms Doris Liew, the NHGP's director of nursing.
This system will be introduced to hospitals under the NHGP's parent group, the National Healthcare Group, next year.
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| Visitors trying out some of the equipment at the new gym in the reopened Woodlands Polyclinic. The 186-sqm gym is expected to be fully operational by November, and will be open in the evenings - beyond the polyclinic's operating hours - so that office workers will be able to use it. -- ST PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN | ||
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| Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan trying out a resistance band at the gym. Users will be able to work out and lose weight under the guidance of a fitness instructor. -- ST PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN | ||
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