29/08/2025
๐๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐
By day, heโs a House Officer in General Medicine. On his days off, heโs taking seniors out for wanton mee and birthday cake. For Dr Chua Tze Hean, caring for others goes beyond the stethoscope. He doesnโt just treat illness โ he treats loneliness.
His mornings begin at 6:30am, checking patient notes before heading for rounds. The rest of the day is filled with updates, tutorials, and paperwork. Even in the rush, he tries to slow down and connect with his patients, especially the elderly. The time he spends talking to them often reminds him of his own grandmother, whose unexpected passing from pancreatic cancer in 2017 taught him to treasure every moment.
That same instinct for connection led him to start A Good Meal in medical school. It started with a senior living alone whom he met during a community visit. โWe brought him out for fish-head steamboat one day,โ Dr Chua recalls, his eyes lighting up at the memory. โSeeing his joy left such a deep impression.โ When the senior passed away from lung cancer months later, that memory became the catalyst for something bigger.
Among the many seniors whose lives heโs touched, one story stands out: a resident who lost her sight in her twenties and later her husband yet maintains remarkable independence. โWhen she told us how joyful she was, how she felt someone still cared, these moments remind us why we do this,โ he shares, his voice warm with emotion.
Now, juggling the demands of housemanship with his passion project, Dr Chua dreams bigger. Heโs planning โA Good Dayโ, where seniors can try activities like drip coffee brewing or photography. โSometimes all it takes is one shared experience to make someoneโs day brighter,โ he says with characteristic enthusiasm.
At 26, Dr Chua brings fresh energy to both his medical duties and volunteer work. โThrough โA Good Mealโ, I've learnt to look beyond just medical issues,โ he explains. โI'm more attuned to seniorsโ concerns about finances, social support, and even simple things like transport to appointments. These details matter just as much as their medical care.โ
Between hospital shifts and volunteer work, this young doctor somehow finds time to learn saxophone (much to his neighboursโ patience!), explore philosophy, and practise film photography. His ultimate comfort after a long day? โYa Kunโs Yuan Yang. Nothing else comes close!โ he grins.
For Dr Chua, being โin good handsโ means more than just medical expertise. โGood hands should come with a good heart,โ he reflects. โWe should lift others up in all aspects of care.โ Whether heโs checking vital signs in the ward or sharing a bowl of wanton mee with seniors, heโs doing exactly that, treating both illness and loneliness, one heartfelt moment at a time.
