Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
SharePoint
A- A A+
NCID > Facilities & Services > Services > NCID Cares

NCID Cares

NCID Cares

​NCID Cares, previously known as Patient Care Centre (PCC), is the community arm of NCID within the Infectious Disease Research & Training Office (IDRTO). It is a community space on Level 1 of NCID and comprises a creative zone for patient volunteers to do their handicraft, a large dining area and a recreation zone ("Great Minds") for volunteer-facilitated activities, training and programme events. Works are in place to create an education and exhibition zone for information on infectious diseases.


NCID Cares will take on a larger role in:

  • Community engagement through our centre-based care and;
  • Public education and community engagement to prepare Singapore and her people for infectious disease outbreaks via greater awareness of infectious diseases and outbreak response.

​NCID Cares will provide activities and services to support ID patients to maximise positive social impact through building self-confidence, opportunities to learn and engage the public, and de-stigmatising infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. The programmes from PCC will continue to help needy patients living with HIV at NCID Cares. These programmes are administered under the TTSH Community Fun​d.


NCID Cares – PCC Programmes

Patient rehabilitation and support programmes


Red Ribbon Project

The Red Ribbon Project initiated in 1999 has the mission to help rebuild self-confidence and self-esteem of patients living with HIV (PLHIV) and integrate them  into society.

The Red Ribbon Project focuses mainly on handicraft work as part of diversional therapy to provide social support to patients with the help of volunteers. The programme equips our patients with life skills through interacting with others from different cultures and environment and helps them cope with psychosocial needs. By providing hope and acceptance we can walk with them in practical ways, help them cope effectively in the different stages of their life and enhance their quality of life.

Patients are referred by medical social workers to the programme. In return, they receive a monthly stipend to cover their time at the centre (each patient volunteer spends about 4 to 8 hours per day from Monday to Friday and occasionally Saturday).

Since its inception, this programme is funded through: 

  • The sale of handicrafts made by patients
  • Donations from individuals and organisations

Their daily activities include: 

  • Making handicrafts
  • Cooking lunch
  • Assisting in sales of the handicrafts at a pushcart in Tan Tock Seng Hospital
  • Performing simple administrative tasks such as reception duties and stock-taking

Nutritional Programme

This programme provides basic food items (e.g. rice, cooking oil, canned food, instant noodles, dietary milk) for needy patients with HIV ensuring their basic nutritional needs are taken care of through monthly food rations. Patients are referred by medical social workers.

The programme is supported by regular sponsorship of dry food rations by religious organisations  and individuals. There are currently about 180 families who benefit from this monthly food ration programme. The food rations are packed and distributed by volunteers on a monthly basis.

This programme offers free lunch to patients (inpatient/outpatient) and patient volunteers of the Red Ribbon Project from Monday to Friday.


Medication subsidies

Medications

This programme provides financial subsidies defray the cost of long-term medication for HIV and hepatitis C beyond the scope of public funding. It had benefitted more than a thousand patients since its inception. 

Non-standard drug subsidy programme

This programme subsidises expensive, non-standard, non-HIV medications and blood tests such as HIV viral load and genotypic resistance to determine the effectiveness of the HIV medications. The programme benefits about 250 to 300 patients annually. 


Education and volunteer training programmes

Volunteer training programme 

NCID Cares has a strong team of regular volunteers from a wide spectrum of organisations including religious groups and non-governmental organisations. The annual volunteer training programme equips new volunteers with theoretical and practical knowledge in caring for patients living with HIV. This programme enhances and supplements services provided by professional staff.

Peer leaders are trained under this programme to expand their knowledge on HIV-related issues to help other PLHIV.


Women's support group

The women's support group was established in 2000 by the Department of Care & Counselling and NCID Cares to encourage female patients living with HIV to engage in social activities facilitated by medical social workers.  It aims to combat stigma and isolation experienced by HIV women via mutual support, group sharing and social activities. It reaches out to women who are newly diagnosed with HIV.


HIV orientation programme (HOP)

HOP is a peer-led support group for patients who are newly diagnosed with HIV. The programme ​provides mutual support for patients via enhancing their knowledge on HIV, emotional support and sharing on issues related to HIV. It empowers individuals and improve their support network to increase their ability to live with HIV.


Agape support group

The Agape support group was established in 2010 to serve as a peer support programme for mutual support among male patients through workshops or meaningful structured activities where participants can learn new skill or knowledge for self-development and enhance their quality of life. The Agape provides a safe avenue for men living with HIV to improve their acceptance of the diagnosis and a safe avenue to meet other men with HIV to share experiences for mutual support,


How you can help?

Support the NCID Cares – PCC programmes through monetary donations

Please make your cheque out to "TTSH Community Fund" and indicate behind the cheque "NCID Cares – PCC Programmes",with your name, NRIC/FIN/UEN and address. Mail the cheque to:


NCID Cares, Level 1
National Centre for Infectious Diseases
16 Jalan Tan Tock Seng
Singapore 308442


Donations will be channeled to the programmes listed above.  All donations will enjoy 2.5 times tax-deductions. 

 

Purchasing our handicrafts

  • As gifts for special occasion (Birthday/Christmas/Father's Day/Mother's Day/Teachers' Day/Children's' Day)
  • As gfts for events of your organisation, department or school
  • As wedding favours

For orders or e-catalogue, please email us at ncidcares@ncid.sg or visit our pushcart outside TTSH Level 1 Kopitiam.

  • Conduct skill training for our patients (e.g. handicraft classes, customer service and retail training)
  • Provide employment opportunities for our patients
  • Donate dry food rations
  • Join us as a befriender volunteer

Contact us

Tel: 6357 7949, Email: ncidcares@ncid.sg

Address: NCID Cares, Level 1, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore 308442 


​NCID undertakes public education via community engagement and partnership to raise greater awareness of ID and outbreaks, hence providing the foundation to prevent the spread of ID and building community preparedness for outbreaks. Through NCID Cares, NCID provides onsite opportunities for public education activities such as educational talks and interactive digital exhibitions. In addition, educational tours on NCID facilities can be arranged for comprehensive learning experiences, including further discussions at NCID Cares after the tours.   

For enquiries or partnership, please send your request to training@ncid.sg. 

















Last Updated on