Our Mission
To assist and improve the lives of PH patients and families through promoting awareness, advocacy, education and providing support.
Our Vision
To build a strong PHSG community and platform for all patients and families affected by PH.
Our Team
Chairman
Vice-Chair
Nurse Advisor
Patient Advocate
Our Medical Advisors
A/Prof Yip Wei Luen James
Clin Assoc Prof Tan Ju Le
Dr Edgar Tay
Our story
The Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Support Group was initially started in 2004 by patient activist Mohd Amin with the assistance of the NUH Adult Congenital Heart team, which is still currently headed by Assoc. Prof. James Yip. At the first gathering of the group, there was an educational presentation by Prof. Yip, Dr. Tan Ju Le & Dr. J Raghuram in the NUH auditorium for staff, medical professionals and patients. The presentation highlighted the diagnosis, disease progression and treatment options for PH, including heart and lung transplantation.
In 2006, Amin felt that he wished to reach out to more patients by collaborating with Dr. Tan Ju Le, who runs another PH clinic at the National Heart Centre. Amin brought the two patient populations together by organising an educational presentation on the management of the disease, which was held at the YMCA, presented by Assoc. Prof James Yip & Dr. Tan Ju Le.
Over the next few years, the support group has been engaged in regular events including educational presentations on subjects such as new medications, proper dieting, pulmonary rehabilitation and other medical advancements. During these years, Mohd Amin has been actively making contact with as many patients as possible and the growth in participating patients, both active & non-active, has been very encouraging.
The Blue Lip Campaign
In 2010, the support group worked with PH Canada for the ‘PUCKER-UP FOR PH’ campaign. The idea behind the Blue Lip Kiss is the demonstration of cyanosis, a condition where the lips turn blue due to a lack of oxygen in the body. PH Canada had set a worldwide target to collect 30,000 kisses to get the campaign recognised in the Guinness World Records. After a year-long worldwide campaign, the target was surpassed and more than 60,000 kisses were collected. Associations from each country, including Singapore, were then presented with a Guinness World Records certificate. This campaign would not have been successful in Singapore if not for the kind participation of Bayer Healthcare, who organised the co-ordination and logistics for the campaign. The Blue Lips Campaign has since been run annually in Singapore during the PH Awareness month of November, as it is an iconic event that continues to promote awareness about PH.
The support group has enjoyed a good working relationship with the main organisational body in the US known as the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA). PHA has been sharing educational materials, daily on-line updates and monthly newsletters. PHA has also acknowledged the PH Support Group as representing the patients in Singapore.
Birth of a new era
As of 23rd December 2015, we became a fully registered non-profit organization known as Pulmonary Hypertension Singapore. All committee members contribute to the organisation purely out of goodwill and are not being paid for their work.
One of our main goals include plans for more events to increase awareness and to provide support to PH patients and their caregivers. Many are not aware of PH, the complexity of the disease, cost of medications and the fatality rate resulting from poor access to treatments. It is PH Singapore’s goal to create awareness of Pulmonary Hypertension, reach out to more patients in facilitating mutual support, and ultimately assist patients in obtaining medications and treatments through fund raising and other channels.
A word from the heart…
I always joke that I am as blue as a Smurf…
this is the reality of people suffering from Pulmonary Hypertension (PH).
The blood and veins are blue because of a lack of oxygen..
a common effect of a weakened heart or a hole in the heart that
impacts the cardiac and respiratory function.
If you see your friends or loved ones gasping for breath and
they look blue as they run, exert or climb a flight of stairs.
Stop what you are doing and slow down your pace.
The only help you can extend a wavering loved-one is be in the know of why PH is a chronic disease and a time bomb that can detonate anytime.
Get to know this heart condition –
No human being would like to look like a character from Avatar.
Get to know Pulmonary Hypertension today.
Our Sponsors, Supporters and Associates
