Photo credit: National University Health System (NUHS)
At the official opening of the Happy Village @ Mei Ling: (From left to right) Mdm Noraini Bte Jumadi, Queenstown resident; Ms Karen Wee, Executive Director, Lions Befrienders; Mr Tan Meng Dui, Co-Chair, Health District @ Queenstown Steering Committee, and Chief Executive Officer, HDB; Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Eric Chua; Senior Minister of State Mr Tan Kiat How; Mr Jalaludin S/O Peer Mohamed, Queenstown resident; Mr Siew Kum Chuen, Queenstown resident; Professor John Eu-Li Wong, Co-Chair, Health District @ Queenstown Steering Committee, Executive Director, NUS Centre for Population Health, and Senior Advisor, NUHS; Mr Chua Song Khim, Deputy Chief Executive, NUHS.
SINGAPORE, 15 March 2025 — Insights from a recent study by a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences reinforce the need for a comprehensive, integrated approach to health.
Key findings of the Baseline Study for Health District @ Queenstown were announced today by Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for National Development & Digital Development and Information, at the opening of the Happy Village @ Mei Ling, a shared community space located at Block 160 Mei Ling Street as part of Health District @ Queenstown.
Led by Associate Professor Jia Lile, the multi-wave study engaged over 5,000 Queenstown residents aged 21 to 102 years old from September 2023 to May 2024 to gain a comprehensive understanding of Queenstown residents’ well-being, health and health-related experiences. The Baseline Study revealed the following trends:
These insights underscore the importance of a holistic approach to health, and are aligned with the objectives of Health District @ Queenstown. Efforts include the newly opened community engagement hub Come4TeaLah!, which serves as a place of learning, interaction and co-creation; FaithActs x Ibasho Margaret Drive Centre, to empower older residents to play a leading role in community change; and Community Care Apartments at Queensway Canopy, which will provide on-site social activities and care services to facilitate ageing in place.
The opening of the Happy Village @ Mei Ling marks another key milestone for Health District @ Queenstown. The first-of-its-kind Blended Care team will provide holistic care from this newly opened community space.
More than 300 guests and residents attended the opening of the Happy Village @ Mei Ling, which is designed to bring social and health support closer to residents.
The Happy Village @ Mei Ling is led by the National University Health System (NUHS), in collaboration with community partners including the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Agency for Integrated Care, the Health Promotion Board, People’s Association, SportSG and Lions Befrienders. The new space is home to an innovative care model known as the Blended Care Team – the first in Singapore to bring together health and social care partners, as well as volunteers, to holistically take care of health and well-being needs within the community.
The efforts of the Blended Care Team include:
Since early 2024, the Blended Care Team has been engaging residents in the area through the Mei Ling Resident Network centre. With the opening of the Happy Village @ Mei Ling, the Blended Care Team now has a dedicated space to better engage residents and carry out activities, which include:
NUHS aims to expand the Blended Care Team model in the future to support even more residents, and scale up this initiative in collaboration with partners across the western region to bring care and support closer to where people live.
Professor John Eu-Li Wong, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Health District @ Queenstown, highlighted the significance of integrating health and social care within the community: “By being in the midst of the community and reaching out to residents, NUHS hopes to better understand what is keeping them from age-appropriate screening, vaccinations; and for older residents, helping them with exercise, good nutrition, and preventing loneliness. This will complement and strengthen the healthcare system and help keep our communities cohesive and robust, especially as our population lives longer.”
“Health is not simply about treating illness. It is about enabling every person to lead a meaningful, active life in their own community. This requires a fundamental shift – from hospital-based treatment to community-driven, preventive health efforts that help people stay well for as long as possible,” he said. Prof Wong is also the Executive Director of the NUS Centre for Population Health and Senior Advisor of NUHS.
To download the PDF version of the media release, click here.