Mission Mindfulness
Singaporean psychiatrist Dr Jared Ng shares his experience of working with his Cambodian peers as part of a mental health project facilitated by the SIF.
BY ALYWIN CHEW
Dr Jared Ng’s journey in the world of mental health started when he got an opportunity to volunteer in the overseas humanitarian missions carried out by the Singapore Armed Forces.
F
or Dr Jared Ng, his career as a psychiatrist is more than a means of livelihood — it is perhaps a manifestation of destiny. His interest in medicine was first sparked in the now defunct Toa Payoh Hospital, where he was inspired by how the doctors helped alleviate the pain of his uncle, a cancer patient.
Years later, when he was in junior college, he had the chance to study the famed Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud and his theories. After noticing how enthusiastic the teenage Ng was, his tutor set up a meeting between him and a psychologist, paving the way for the former’s professional pursuit.
“I suppose being a psychiatrist is a combination of the two — the best of both worlds. Years later, I found myself speaking to educators about the importance of mental health in schools.
“And as fate would have it, my junior college tutor, who by then had become the principal, was in the audience. It was a surreal moment that made me realise how far I had come and how interconnected my life’s chapters have been,” he recalls.
His journey in the world of mental health started when the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) gave him the chance to use his skills for the betterment of less fortunate people in countries like Afghanistan and Indonesia.
Dr Jared Ng (middle of the three men in orange) came away impressed by the vocal stance of young Cambodian doctors and healthcare professionals, and their determination to bolster the mental health system in their country.
"My humanitarian missions with the Singapore Armed Forces were a stark reminder of the disparities that exist in the world. It made me realise that even in a resource-scarce country like Singapore, there is more we can do to allay suffering and well-being."
Dr Jared Ng, psychiatrist, Fullerton Health
“My humanitarian missions with the SAF were a stark reminder of the disparities that exist in the world,” he says. “While it is difficult to pinpoint a single life-changing moment, the collective experience, especially when dealing with children who were suffering or near death, was deeply moving.
“It made me realise that even in a resource-scarce country like Singapore, there is more we can do to allay suffering and improve well-being. These experiences were what fuelled my commitment to volunteer work, particularly in the area of child and adolescent mental health.”
Dr Ng has certainly stayed true to his resolution, having volunteered in various organisations over the past decade. For example, he serves on the programmes and services subcommittees of non-profit organisations Samaritans of Singapore and Infant Jesus Homes and Children’s Centres, where he offers a medical and mental health perspective to evaluations regarding the effectiveness and relevance of various programmes and services.
The avid volunteer also advises on policies and practices that affect the well-being of students and staff from the 11 Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus schools in Singapore.
Dr Jared Ng (back row, centre) and healthcare professionals from Singapore work with their Cambodian peers as part of the SIF’s Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services Project in Cambodia.
MENTAL HEALTH BEYOND BORDERS
Dr Ng’s most recent volunteering endeavour is with the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), serving as the leader of the organisation’s Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services Project.
Launched in February 2022, the project is aimed at bolstering the mental healthcare capabilities of three Cambodian institutions based in Phnom Penh: the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, the Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation Cambodia.
This project, he says, is a highly significant and meaningful one because the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a rise in mental health cases, not just in Cambodia but around the world. Another reason is that Cambodia is currently undergoing a phase of rapid development. He notes that while urbanisation has its benefits, it also alters the social fabric and creates stress factors that lead to mental health issues.
Dr Ng, who is currently a psychiatrist at Singapore’s Fullerton Health, will over the next two years lead a multidisciplinary team of mental healthcare professionals from Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health to provide training for their Cambodian counterparts. The goal is to benefit at least 30,000 people by 2024.
He recalls that the first order of business was to conduct a familiarisation trip to Cambodia to understand the needs of mental healthcare professionals in the country. What the team found was that the Cambodians required training in areas they did not expect.
“Initially, we thought that they might want to learn more about handling post-traumatic stress disorder and ways to treat addiction, because we know the country faces a challenge with alcohol and drug abuse,” he explains. “But we later learnt from our Cambodian peers that one of the most prevalent conditions was anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder, areas they have little experience in. They also requested for training in suicide risk and management and education.”
Dr Jared Ng believes that there is no specific formula to address mental health problems in both Singapore and Cambodia, and that sensitivity towards local Cambodian customs and a collaborative spirit between the two teams are vital.
Since then, the team of SIF volunteers has conducted one online symposium with their peers and two training sessions in Cambodia, with the most recent one taking place in May 2023. According to Dr Ng, the objective of these events was not simply to impart new skills, but also have their peers involved in coming up with a set of national management protocols for psychiatric emergencies, and creating guidelines that would allow them to drive the development of their nation’s mental healthcare system.
Some of the key challenges faced in the country, he says, include outdated IT systems and mental healthcare workers who are overworked due to the lack of resources and the overwhelming number of patients. “There is a lot that we can do to help them streamline and enhance the mental health care system in Cambodia.”
One significant issue the team noticed is the lack of integrated care. For example, while psychiatrists are part of the public healthcare system, psychologists and counsellors are not. They often work within non-profits.
To address this issue, the SIF team has been working to bridge this gap by bringing the teams together, facilitating multi-disciplinary teamwork, and encouraging a more holistic approach to mental healthcare, all of which Dr Ng says are crucial to ensuring effective treatment and long-term patient wellbeing.
“That being said, I do not think it is appropriate for us to simply tell them how things work in Singapore. We need to be sensitive to their local customs and traditions and have a collaborative mindset. After all, what has worked in Singapore may not necessarily work in Cambodia,” he says.
One heartening thing he has noticed is that what the Cambodians lack in resources, they make up for with sheer determination and passion.
He singles out the Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health as a shining example, noting that it has been able to provide a comprehensive range of services, including care for psychological issues, neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities, despite its limited resources.
“The young Cambodian doctors were very vocal about what healthcare workers in their country lack, and the importance of caring for fellow doctors and nurses. I thought that was very inspiring.”
Dr Jared Ng
He also recalls being astounded at how passionate young medical professionals attending the online symposium were. “The young Cambodian doctors were very vocal about what healthcare workers in their country lack and the importance of caring for fellow doctors and nurses,” he says. “I thought that was very inspiring.”
Dr Jared Ng regularly talks to schoolchildren about mental healthcare concerns and how to address them through a community-centric approach.
“Cambodians place great emphasis on community relationships. This is reflected in their approach to mental health, which often involves seeking support within their communities before professional intervention.”
Dr Jared Ng, mental healthcare professional and SIF volunteer
CULTURAL CAMARADERIE
Dr Ng also managed to gain some cultural learnings from this experience. Through their conversations over meals, he discovered that his Cambodian counterparts are fond of Singapore-style coffee. As such, the SIF team of volunteers makes it a point to carry packets of Killiney Coffee, a local brand, and kaya (coconut jam) spread from Singapore. To reciprocate the kindness, the Cambodians would take the Singaporean team to purchase local specialties such as mangoes and peppercorns.
“I find that Cambodians place great emphasis on community and interpersonal relationships, valuing harmony in their social interactions. This is reflected in their approach to mental health, which often involves seeking support within their close-knit communities before considering professional intervention,” he says.
Collaborating with the Cambodian team has indeed offered insights into their approach towards life.
“Spirituality plays an important part in mental health in Cambodia. Buddhism, which is the main religion there, provides a framework for understanding suffering, seeking peace and influencing their approach to challenges. I also admire their resilient spirit, possibly shaped by the country’s tumultuous history,” he adds.
CITIZEN AMBASSADOR The work of the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) is not possible without the support of many Singaporeans who generously give of their time and talent as volunteers. Their collective efforts bring us closer to becoming a nation of responsible global citizens. Singaporeans play the role of Citizen Ambassadors (CA) when they volunteer to work alongside their overseas counterparts to shape new realities, while fostering greater intercultural understanding. A CA is a friend of the world – someone who recognises that Singapore sits within the global community and that there is a need for greater understanding and collaboration between countries in order to build a better, more peaceful and inclusive world. As key enablers of our work, all our CAs abide by the SIF Global Citizens Charter, which sets out the principles, values and behaviours expected of them, based on the SIF’s mission and core values.  Scan here to find
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