#FacesofNeeSoon – National Day Edition

KTPH – M Dhinakaran

M Dhinakaran is a Healthcare Assistant under the Ancillary Care Department at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. From a young age, he had the opportunity to interact with a community of people from different age groups, especially seniors. It left a deep impression on him when he saw most of the seniors living alone and in need of medical care. It was then that he decided to enter the healthcare industry to serve the community. 

It is never easy being a healthcare worker, however Dhinakaran attributes his motivation to his patients. For instance, knowing that he can be an instrument to bring healing to the wounded gives him the motivation to stay on and give his best in whatever way he can. It always provided him with a sense of satisfaction whenever he nurses a patient to recovery and discharge. 

Dhinakaran believes that with passion, there is no challenge to which he can not overcome. He started as a porter in the hospital where he got the chance to interact with patients for five years. He then took the leap of faith to pursue a Healthcare Assistant certification course. 

He shares that he once had a patient who was aggressive when advised not to consume solid food due to his medical condition. It was challenging to engage with this patient. Thankfully, through more interaction and being a listening ear, rapport was built between them. On the day of the patient’s discharge, he received the patient’s sincere appreciation for the care and understanding he provided. Through this episode, Dhinakaran learnt how to better understand each individual patient’s emotions and thoughts, which is a constant challenge in his everyday work. The key was to identify with the patient’s needs, and to empathize with them.