A Story of Singapore’s Medical Discoveries

On a fine Friday evening, September 5^th, Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre received a handful of guests from Nan Chiau High who brought along their notepads and pens to take notes of a lecture delivered by one of the pioneer doctors in Singapore, Dr Tay Chong Hai.

Dr Tay was the invited speaker by NCH as part of the school’s project for SG50 next year. They are doing research on prominent figures that have helped shape Singapore. Singapore has come a long way to celebrate her 50^th birthday, and much credit has to be given to the pioneer generation. Dr Tay is one such pioneer member who has witnessed and played an important role in Singapore’s medical journey.

You may remember Dr Tay from our previous blogpost here. Dr Tay is our long-term neighbour and we are proud to say that we have brushed shoulders with such a prominent figure in Singapore’s medical landscape. Most of all, Dr Tay is a good friend and we treasure our friendship.

Did You Know?

• Dr Tay was one of the first few doctors in Singapore who has a disease named after him; The Tay Syndrome. The Tay Syndrome is a congenital disease that results in brittle hair, skin problems and some mental retardation. How many times can we say that we have met a person who has a disease named after him in person?
• Dr Tay was the one who brought attention to the presence of arsenic in Traditional Chinese Medicine. High level of arsenic content in medicine can lead to chronic poisoning which causes depigmentation, “rain drops” looking pigmentation on ones’ palms, soles and trunk.
•  Dr Tay first discovered the early cases of Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Singapore. It was the start of HFMD epidemic.
• He also discovered the Eosinophilic arthritis in year 2000.

We are grateful for the contributions made by Dr Tay to our healthcare system and of course, for the wonderful opportunity to listen to him impart knowledge to the younger generation of Singapore. We hope that the students enjoyed their lecture by Dr Tay Chong Hai and that it has inspired them to build a better Singapore for the future.