Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Among Employers Lauded for Promoting Mental Well-being

WorkWell Leaders Charity Also Launches List of 25 Employers That Lead by Example

- Joyce Teo

Come 6pm on Wednesdays, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) chief executive Chua Hong Choon aims to stop work to make time for a run with staff.

The weekly routine gives them the perfect excuse to end work and join him for a jog around the nearby Yishun Pond and its surroundings.

Professor Chua, who is also the CEO of Yishun Community Hospital, said he is not afraid to admit he has tough days and that it is perfectly fine to take a break when needed.

"It starts with the leaders accepting that this is our responsibility... I have to walk the talk. I have to demonstrate how I look after myself," he said.

"And when you foster this in the boardroom, you're more likely to allow your managers and other leaders to also allow themselves to think about mental well-being (and) to be vulnerable. That's the culture. People not only talk about it, they see it happening."

At the third WorkWell Leaders Awards on April 24, Prof Chua and Professor Au Wing Lok, CEO of the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), jointly took home the Wellbeing CEO Award for establishing a culture for a mentally healthy work environment.