Clinic, hawker centre and 500-seat theatre at new CC in Hougang
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a mooncake-making session at Ci Yuan Community Club yesterday, The CC is the first to have a hawker centre, clinic and theatre under one roof. Photo: Ooi Boon Keong
SINGAPORE — It is a first-of-its-kind Community Club — one that is co-located with a hawker centre and housing a 500-seat theatre of such a scale.
And with the opening yesterday (Sept 20) of the Ci Yuan CC, Ang Mo Kio and Hougang residents can visit it for affordable hawker fare, high-quality performing arts as well as various healthcare services provided by a one-stop family medicine clinic.
The hawker centre at the four-storey CC, located in Hougang Avenue 9, has 40 stalls each providing at least two food items priced at S$2.80 or below. Some sections will remain open 24 hours to cater for residents working at odd hours.
Meanwhile, the clinic aims to offer residents personalised, enhanced care. Ci Yuan CC Management Committee chairman Koh Hock Seng said it had received feedback from young couples who found it difficult to care for their aged parents with their hectic working schedules. To help them cope, the clinic will operate until 9.30pm from Mondays to Thursdays. About 11,000 visits are expected in its first year of operations. It also anticipates treating a growing number of patients with chronic illnesses.
The clinic’s Management Committee manager Chong Phui-Nah, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, said: “Having this kind of set-up (that has everything) under one roof, enables staff to provide better care and give more attention for patients, instead of having to refer them to other places for treatment, which may be confusing for elderly residents.”
Patients can tap their Community Health Assist Scheme and Pioneer Generation (PG) package to enjoy subsidised treatment.
And with a 500-seat theatre at their doorstep with the state-of-the-art sound and light equipment, residents no longer need to venture far from their neighbourhood for high-quality music and drama performances, and even movie screenings.
Grassroots organisations helped to raise more than S$1 million for the new CC. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who officiated the opening, said: “(There’s) a lot of effort that went into raising the funds, planning this building and bringing all these activities here so that we can involve the residents, and they can enjoy and participate in what’s going on here.”
He added, “As the People’s Association says, we work together with people to people, and government to people ... If we can do that with the CC, I think the money and effort is well spent, and we can have a happy Ang Mo Kio GRC.”
A resident, Ms Hay Hui Shin, 48, says she is impressed by the CC’s facilities, and is planning to take her mother, who suffers from diabetes, to the clinic. The family forks out S$162 a month for her treatment. Her mother, Mdm Irene Soh, 68, said: “The GP at our house is older, it didn’t have a computerised system, and I had to get a referral letter to get a subsidy. But now, it’ll be easier — all I have to do is show my PG card.”
Another resident, Mdm Kee Ah Liu, 77, says the new hawker centre offers much cheaper dining options. “I used to eat at the Kopitiam near NTUC and pay above $3.50 … Now I can just spend about $2.50. I’m going to come here every day to buy food,” she said.
The CC will also offer courses such as zumba fitness, yoga, pilates, baking and Hokkien opera. It will also host interest groups on balloon sculpture, modern dance for seniors, paper quilling and gardening.
Speaking in Mandarin, Member of Parliament-elect Darryl David for Ang Mo Kio GRC said this is the first time since the General Election that he had the opportunity to interact with so many residents, and thanked them for their support.
Pointing out that the Senior Care Centre will be opening at the end of the year, he said, “This CC has many exciting facilities to suit the different needs and wants ... We’ll continue to work hard for our residents to give them better service.”
