Doctor gives those with intellectual disabilities dignity through healthcare

In 2014, 40-year-old Jeffrey abruptly broke from his routine.

- Ng Wei Kai Correspondent

He refused to leave home for anything, including his job at a sheltered workshop that he had enjoyed for years, or to visit his sister.

Jeffrey, who had Down syndrome, stayed home for weeks, puzzling and worrying his family and caregivers, who could not understand what was wrong.

The team at the sheltered workshop referred him to Dr Chen Shiling, who was then providing home-based medical care for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) on her own.

Dr Chen visited Jeffrey at home and discovered that multiple factors were contributing to his withdrawal, including worsening osteoarthritis and a lack of confidence.

She worked closely with his family to address each issue in turn.

After a few weeks of treatment and improvements to his arthritis, Jeffrey, for the first time in two months, stepped out of his home and returned to work.

"His family was in tears, and so was I," said Dr Chen, 44.

Experiences like this convinced her that access to holistic healthcare is crucial to the quality of life of people with IDs - and that more should be done for them.

In 2014, Dr Chen founded a nonprofit, Happee Hearts Movement, to advocate for good-quality healthcare for adults with IDs, and a clinic, IDHealth, to serve their complex needs. Happee Hearts was registered as a charity in 2022.

The IDHealth clinic, located in Upper Thomson Road, is Singapore's first community-based dedicated healthcare service for people with IDs.

Dr Chen is a finalist for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award, which is organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore.