NHG Health expands access to diabetic foot and eye screenings

This fuels efforts to enhance early detection and management.

NHG Health has expanded its existing programme to allow patients with diabetes to access Diabetic Foot Screening (DFS) and Diabetic Retinal Photography (DRP) services at locations in their neighbourhoods.

In a statement, NHG Health said that this was implemented through its Population Health campus, which teamed up with GPs in its Central-North Primary Care Network (CN-PCN) and community partners.

“This initiative is part of NHG Health’s wider efforts as the Regional Health Manager for Central and North Singapore to build healthier communities,” it added.

There are about 1,500 diabetes-related lower extremity amputations in Singapore, which averages four per day . Diabetes is also a leading cause of blindness in the city-state, and amongst patients with diabetes, there is a 33.9% prevalence of diabetic retinopathy.

“Early screening for diabetic foot and eye complications is key to timely intervention and preventing serious issues such as lower limb extremity amputations and diabetic retinopathy,” said associate professor Karen Ng, director of Central-North Primary Care Network, chief of primary care, Population Health, NHG Health, and CEO of NHG Polyclinics.

“By partnering with GPs in our Central-North Primary Care Network and Active Ageing Centres, we have brought such screenings much closer to the community, at patients’ convenience,” Ng added.

Launched in November 2023, the programme aims to improve access for patients and operational efficiency for GPs, enabling them to provide preventive care and interventions for patients.

There are over 700 patients with diabetes who have benefited from the one-stop screening services, with 92 CN-PCN GP clinics referring patients to 12 screening locations, including Active Ageing Centres (AAC), Community Centres (CC), and Resident Networks (RN).