The Passion of One
The idea of forming an organisation to reach out to and help diabetes patients began stirring in the mind of Dr Frederick Tan Bock Yam more than 40 years ago.
His interest in diabetes developed when he had to treat diabetic patients at The Singapore General Hospital, where he was attached to after graduation. In those days, patients had poor knowledge of their condition or how to treat their diabetes.
Dr Tan’s postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom led him to the work with two eminent endocrinologists - the late Professor Sir Derrick Dunlop the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland and the late Professor Sir Russell Fraser at the Hammersmith Postgraduate School of Medicine, London, England. It was during this time that he learned about the programmes of the British Diabetic Association, which further sparked his interest in diabetes.
He was also inspired by his great-grandfather, the late philantrhopist Tan Tock Seng, founder of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, to do something for the sick. After several years of planning, the non-profit organisation was finally registered as the Diabetic Society of Singapore (DSS) on 25 September 25 1971.
The earliest educational meetings and self-care courses were held at the conference room of Alexandra Hospital until 1974. Other venues were the Lee Kong Chian Hall of The Singapore Council of Social Service in Penang Lane, function rooms in various hotels and Mount Alvernia Hospital. The Society was temporarily housed in a room rented from The Singapore Council of Social Service from February 1976 until 1993. In 1993, DSS moved to its present headquarters at Ang Mo Kio Community Hospital.
On February 22, 1998, a satellite centre, the DSS Sembawang-Hong Kah Diabetes Education and Care Centre, was officially opened by then Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Tony Tan, at the Hong Kah West Community Club. This centre has helped facilitate access to services for the residents in Jurong, such as counselling, health education, checks on blood sugar and cholesterol.
