New nursing home in Hougang to have 290 beds

A new nursing home with 290 beds is being built in Hougang and will be ready next year.

The Ministry of Health's nursing home will be operated by voluntary welfare organisation Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society. The home is part of the society's bid to do more for the community as it celebrates its 37th anniversary this year.

Some $1.2 million of the $5.5 million the society raised at its charity show in January will help patients who cannot afford fees at the home.

Meanwhile, the society's new therapy centre in MacPherson for children and a therapy centre in Telok Blangah for the elderly will be ready in the next two months.

Speaking at its anniversary celebrations at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel yesterday, the society's chairman, Mr Lee Kim Siang, thanked donors for their contributions.

He said one of the organisation's many objectives is to relieve hardships and suffering.

"We will continue to serve everyone better. What we do is a reflection of society's demands, and to provide for people as best as we can," he said.

The opening of the children's therapy centre, for instance, is a result of children's disabilities being discovered at an early age these days, as well as parents wanting to send them for therapy as early as possible.

The society runs more than 70 other programmes and services.

The celebrations were officiated by Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin.

Congratulating the group on its years of service, and addressing the donors present, Mr Tan said: "As we care for others, slowly, we begin to change.

"We begin to look beyond just ourselves, to reconnect with our own sense of compassion and humanity, which is what Thye Hua Kwan is about."

The society also thanked eight corporate donors for their contributions ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 during its charity show.

melodyz@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 3, 2015.
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