I like to inform you that a Glaucoma Patients Association (Singapore)
has been registered on Aug 30, 2007 and that I am the founding
president of this association.
It was exactly a year ago in August 2006 that Alpha-C Support Group
was formed. In September 2006 Dr Jovina See became our first guest
speaker to share with us and was followed by other guests speakers
such as Mr Kua Cheng Hock, Dr. Sharon Siddique and we also conducted
our own in-house sessions. All in all we conducted 8 sharing sessions
and participated at the TTSH Public Forum, the National Eye Care Day
and the SNEC Support Group launch.
All our activities were self-funded by well-wishers from within
Alpha-C Support Group and as such we were able to include other
glaucoma patients not affiliated to any societies to participate in
our group activities free of charge. 12 months seems a short time but
Alpha-C Support Group became the catalyst to many patient groups to
emerge this year. In a small way we provided the impetus for SNEC
Glaucoma Support Group to revitalize itself. The executive committee
of the Macular Degeneration Society launched in June 2007 acknowledged
that Alpha-C will be the early model it will adopt before evolving its
own model. The Alpha-C experiment has paid dividend again with the
formation of the Glaucoma Patients Association (Singapore) on August
18, 2007 and approved by ROS on Aug 30, 2007.
Having lead Alpha-C Support Group for 12 months, I have decided to
allow myself to retire as there is now a patients association
dedicated to cater for the needs of the glaucoma sufferers. As I am
president of GPAS there is duplication in conducting sharing sessions
for both groups. As GPAS will outgrow Alpha-C Support Group (it being
a cell group) I welcome alphacians to attend our sharing sessions in
the interim until they are able to find suitable alternative
arrangements which they feel comfortable with. If there is a member
who like to continue with the work at Alpha-C, I will be most
delighted.
At Alpha-C we had never looked at membership as a key requisite for
participation in our programs but on the principle whether glaucoma
sufferers will benefit from the programs. Thus GPAS will extend this
similar arrangement to alphacians in the interim 3 to 6 months.
Details of GPAS future activities will be featured on their website at
http://www.singapore-glaucoma
If you need to contact me on GPAS matters my email address is:
glaucoma.patients@gmail.com otherwise the present email will continue
to be appropriate.
This is not "goodbye" for we will certainly meet at other functions.
Many fond memories and warmest regards,
Sam Fong
Group Leader
Alpha-C Support Group
