The nursing students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Health Sciences will receive two Robert lau Nursing Bursaries from SATA CommHealth each year. This bursary has a tenure of three years and therefore a total of six bursaries may be awarded each year. Besides the bursary, SATA CommHealth is also sponsoring the SATA CommHealth Prize, a graduation prize for the student with the most outstanding performance in the Research Project module.
The sponsorship of the Robert lau Nursing Bursary and the SATA CommHealth Prize was formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Dr K Thomas Abraham, CEO of SATA CommHealth, and Dr Phang Chiew Hun, Director of the School of Health Sciences, Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
The MOU, which formalises an ongoing understanding with the Ngee Ann Polytechnic since 2007, will take effect from 2011 for a period of three years. Taking into account the rising cost of living, the bursary recipients will receive an additional $100 each year from its original value of $2,100. The value of each bursary is therefore $2,200 in 2011, $2,300 in 2012 and $2,400 in 2013. The bursaries and graduation prizes provide for up to $42,000 to be awarded for a three-year period, beginning in 2011. However, there are only a total of three recipients across the three years for the bursary this year.
Speaking at the MOU Signing-cum-Award ceremony, Dr K Thomas Abraham, CEO of SATA CommHealth, said, “SATA CommHealth is committed to promoting lifelong health and serving the community. Through the award of the bursary, we hope to assist needy youths who are contemplating a nursing career to embark on this academic track by alleviating their financial burdens. At the same time, the SATA CommHealth Prize aims to spur academically-inclined students to excel in their studies by acknowledging their achievements. In addition, SATA CommHealth also provides opportunities for students from the School of Health Sciences to apply their knowledge and skills through internship and volunteer work at SATA CommHealth’s medical centres and community-based health screening events. By familiarising them with the healthcare sector, under the guidance of experienced SATA CommHealth staff, we hope that their eventual entry into the industry will be effortless and value-adding from day one of their full-time employment.”
Dr Phang Chiew Hun, the Director of Ngee Ann’s School of Health Sciences, said: “Thanks to SATA CommHealth’s kindness and generosity, needy students who are awarded the Robert lau Nursing Bursary can focus on their education without worrying about their financial obligations. SATA CommHealth’s strong support will hopefully inspire our students to excel in their studies and become caring, dedicated professionals in future.”
This collaboration with the School of Health Sciences is not the first for SATA CommHealth and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. In January this year, SATA CommHealth collaborated with the polytechnic’s School of Engineering in the development of a software programme to enhance the detection of tuberculosis or TB from x-ray images in a shorter period of time by using algorithms. While the researchers are still refining the algorithms for greater accuracy and making the software more user-friendly, this will help radiologists to increase their efficiency and productivity by swiftly filtering out suspected TB cases from X-rayed images.