KKH-MUIS team wins top healthcare award for guiding Muslim couples, offering antenatal support

The team from Project ARIF includes (from left) Suzanna Sulaiman, Nur Adila Ahmad Hatib, Mohamad Helmy Mohamad Isa and Siti Nurzakiah Zaran.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Published Sep 17, 2026, 09:05 PM

Updated Sep 17, 2026, 09:05 PM

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, MUIS, and Temasek Foundation launched Project ARIF to support young Muslim couples with ante-natal care and parenting, benefiting over 12,000 individuals since 2020.

Project ARIF integrates health guidance into faith-based settings, emphasising the role of both mothers and fathers in family health and development.

The team received the 2026 National Community Care Excellence Team Award, highlighting the importance of community-focused healthcare beyond clinical settings, as praised by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.

SINGAPORE – To address significant gaps in maternal and child health knowledge among young Muslim couples that were identified in a study , Project Achieving Resilient and Inspiring Families (ARIF) was launched in September 2020.

It is the region’s first programme to guide couples from marriage through preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and child health, integrating clinical maternal and child health support within faith-based marriage ecosystems.

On Sept 17, the team behind Project ARIF received the National Community Care Excellence Team Award at the National Medical Excellence Awards.

The project was started by a team from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), working with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and Temasek Foundation.

Suzanna Sulaiman, deputy chairman of the obstetrics and gynaecology division at KKH, said: “The impetus was not affordability. (Apart from the gaps), we also recognised that religion plays a central role in health decisions within the community, making mosques and marriage solemnisers natural entry points for preventive healthcare.”

From its launch to May 2026, Project ARIF has benefited over 12,000 individuals, including over 5,000 couples receiving education and support.

“Project ARIF is not only about supporting mothers. We support fathers too. (They) play an important role throughout the journey – from preparing for parenthood, supporting their wives during pregnancy and childbirth, to being actively involved in health and development of their children,” Suzanna said, adding that every family deserves the best possible start in life.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at the award ceremony at the Conrad Singapore that the Project ARIF team looked beyond the walls of the hospital to ask a simple but important question: “What do patients and their families truly need?”

Ong, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, said Project ARIF recognised that health can be shaped by a person’s circumstances and community, more so than what happens in the clinic.

Suzanna Sulaiman (left), deputy chairman of the division of obstetrics and gynaecology at KKH, with a young Malay couple and their baby. The couple were part of Project ARIF. PHOTO: KKH.SG/INSTAGRAM

Suzanna Sulaiman (left), deputy chairman of the division of obstetrics and gynaecology at KKH, with a young Malay couple and their baby. The couple were part of Project ARIF.

PHOTO: KKH.SG/INSTAGRAM

“Social prescribing has become a key tenet of our healthcare policy, supported by national programmes such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG... If the same spirit percolates throughout the healthcare system, we will be able to strengthen families, uplift communities, and contribute to the caring and compassionate society that we want to build together,” he said.

The National Medical Excellence Awards, the top national accolade for the healthcare sector in Singapore, honoured a total of seven clinicians and two teams in 2026 .

Sengkang General Hospital chief executive officer Teo Eng Kiong received the National Outstanding Clinician Award for his work in gastroenterology and hepatology, and his leadership in advancing patient safety, medical education, and healthcare system transformation.

Teo, who has over 30 years’ experience, was part of a team that developed direct endoscopic necrosectomy, a technique that treats severe pancreatic infections without open surgery.

He also helped shaped Singapore’s national response to viral hepatitis, contributed to national hepatitis B virus treatment guidelines, and served on the National Hepatitis C Programme Steering Committee.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Teo said he was humbled and grateful for the award, which is “a reminder of the many seniors and mentors who generously shared their knowledge and experience with me throughout my career”.

Teo Eng Kiong, CEO of Sengkang General Hospital, received the National Outstanding Clinician Award 2026 PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Teo Eng Kiong, CEO of Sengkang General Hospital, received the National Outstanding Clinician Award 2026

“I hope to pay this forward by mentoring and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals,” he added.

N. Gopalakrishna Iyer, who leads the department of head and neck surgery at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, took home the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award.

A key practice of his lab involves identifying patients who are exceptional responders to various therapies and learning more about the mechanisms behind their responses. This strategy has resulted in the development of new therapies.

One research he was involved in used a locally created, tissue-like, bioengineered hydrogel to preserve the lymph nodes for up to seven days outside the body, allowing the researchers to study how the immune system reacts to vaccines and immunotherapies.

N. Gopalakrishna Iyer (centre), an oncology surgeon from NCCS, working on preserving lymph nodes outside the human body. He took home the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award. PHOTO: NUS-CDE

N. Gopalakrishna Iyer (centre), an oncology surgeon from NCCS, working on preserving lymph nodes outside the human body. He took home the National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award.

Iyer told ST he was “lucky to be doing this at a time when research is highly valued, clinician-scientists are well supported and there is an amount of flexibility and agility that allows us to be nimble”.

“It is important that we do this kind of research because worldwide, head and neck cancer often receives limited funding because it is considered an Asian-prevalent cancer. Many current treatment breakthroughs, especially in immunotherapy and cell therapy, are expensive and out of reach for many patients in the region,” he said.

His goal is to develop new treatments at a lower cost, for everyone and “we want to succeed so that we can do even more to help the next patient who walks into the clinic with head and neck cancer”.

National Medical Excellence Awards 2026 recipients

National Outstanding Clinician Award Teo Eng Kiong Sengkang General Hospital (SingHealth)

National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award N. Gopalakrishna Iyer National Cancer Centre Singapore (SingHealth)

Su Xinyi National University Hospital (National University Health System)

National Outstanding Clinician Mentor Award Terrance Chua Siang Jin National Heart Centre Singapore (SingHealth)

Pang Weng Sun Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (NHG Health)

National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award Nga Min En National University Hospital (National University Health System)

Kevin Tan National Neuroscience Institute (SingHealth)

National Clinical Excellence Team Award One-STop Obstetric high RisK (STORK) Centre KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (SingHealth) Tan Lay Kok Serene Thain Pei Ting Tan Chuen Wen Michelle Jong

National Community Care Excellence Team Award Project Achieving Resilient and Inspiring Families (ARIF) KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (SingHealth) Suzanna Sulaiman Nur Adila Ahmad Hatib Siti Nurzakiah Zaran Mohamad Helmy Mohamad Isa

KK Women's and Children's Hospital

ARIF 项目的团队包括（左起）Suzanna Sulaiman、Nur Adila Ahmad Hatib、Mohamad Helmy Mohamad Isa 和 Siti Nurzakiah Zaran。

图片来源：联合早报

发布于 2026 年 9 月 17 日晚上 9:05

更新于2026年9月17日晚上9:05

KK妇女儿童医院、新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）和淡马锡基金会发起了ARIF项目，旨在为年轻的穆斯林夫妇提供产前护理和育儿方面的支持，自2020年以来，该项目已惠及超过12000人。

ARIF 项目将健康指导融入信仰环境，强调父母双方在家庭健康和发展中的作用。

该团队荣获 2026 年全国社区护理卓越团队奖，凸显了以社区为中心的医疗保健在临床环境之外的重要性，并受到了卫生部长王乙康的赞扬。

新加坡——为了解决一项研究中发现的年轻穆斯林夫妇在母婴健康知识方面存在的重大差距，2020 年 9 月启动了“实现有韧性和鼓舞人心的家庭项目”（ARIF）。

这是该地区首个指导夫妇从结婚到备孕、怀孕、分娩、育儿和儿童健康的计划，将临床母婴健康支持融入以信仰为基础的婚姻生态系统中。

9 月 17 日，Project ARIF 背后的团队在国家医疗卓越奖颁奖典礼上获得了国家社区护理卓越团队奖。

该项目由KK妇女儿童医院（KKH）的一个团队发起，并与新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）和淡马锡基金会合作开展。

KKH妇产科副主任苏珊娜·苏莱曼表示：“推动这一举措的并非经济承受能力。（除了存在的差距之外），我们也意识到宗教在社区的健康决策中扮演着核心角色，因此清真寺和婚姻登记处自然而然地成为了预防性医疗保健的切入点。”

从启动到 2026 年 5 月，ARIF 项目已惠及超过 12,000 人，其中包括 5,000 多对夫妇，他们获得了教育和支持。

“ARIF项目不仅支持母亲，我们也支持父亲。他们在整个过程中都扮演着重要的角色——从为人父母的准备，到在妻子怀孕和分娩期间给予支持，再到积极参与孩子的健康和成长，”苏珊娜说道，并补充说，每个家庭都应该拥有最好的开始。

卫生部长王乙康在新加坡康莱德酒店的颁奖典礼上表示，ARIF 项目团队跳出医院的围墙，提出了一个简单但重要的问题：“患者及其家人真正需要什么？”

翁先生同时也是社会政策统筹部长，他表示，ARIF 项目认识到，健康更多地受到个人环境和社区的影响，而不是诊所里发生的事情。

图为KKH妇产科副主任苏珊娜·苏莱曼（左）与一对年轻的马来夫妇及其婴儿合影。这对夫妇参与了ARIF项目。图片来源：KKH.SG/INSTAGRAM

苏珊娜·苏莱曼（左），KKH妇产科副主任，与一对年轻的马来夫妇及其婴儿合影。这对夫妇参与了ARIF项目。

图片来源：KKH.SG/INSTAGRAM

“社会处方已成为我们医疗保健政策的关键原则，并得到了‘更健康的新加坡’和‘乐龄新加坡’等国家计划的支持……如果这种精神能够渗透到整个医疗保健系统中，我们将能够增强家庭凝聚力，提升社区福祉，并为我们共同想要建设的充满关爱和同情心的社会做出贡献，”他说道。

新加坡国家医疗卓越奖是新加坡医疗保健行业的最高国家荣誉，2026 年共有 7 位临床医生和 2 个团队获得表彰。

盛港综合医院首席执行官张永强因其在胃肠病学和肝病学领域的工作，以及在推进患者安全、医学教育和医疗保健系统转型方面的领导作用，荣获国家杰出临床医生奖。

拥有 30 多年经验的 Teo 曾参与开发直接内镜坏死组织切除术，这是一种无需开胸手术即可治疗严重胰腺感染的技术。

他还帮助制定了新加坡应对病毒性肝炎的国家应对措施，为国家乙型肝炎病毒治疗指南做出了贡献，并担任国家丙型肝炎计划指导委员会成员。

张先生在接受《海峡时报》采访时表示，他对获得该奖项感到荣幸和感激，并表示“这让我想到在我整个职业生涯中，许多前辈和导师慷慨地与我分享了他们的知识和经验”。

盛港综合医院首席执行官张永强荣获2026年全国杰出临床医生奖 图片来源：联合早报

盛港综合医院首席执行官张永强荣获2026年全国杰出临床医生奖

“我希望通过指导和支持下一代医疗保健专业人员来回馈社会，”他补充道。

新加坡国立癌症中心头颈外科主任 N. Gopalakrishna Iyer 荣获国家杰出临床科学家奖。

他的实验室的一项关键研究方向是识别对各种疗法反应异常灵敏的患者，并深入了解其反应背后的机制。这一策略已促成了新疗法的研发。

他参与的一项研究使用了一种本地制造的、类似组织的生物工程水凝胶，将淋巴结在体外保存长达七天，使研究人员能够研究免疫系统对疫苗和免疫疗法的反应。

图中是来自新加坡国立癌症中心（NCCS）的肿瘤外科医生N·戈帕拉克里希纳·艾耶尔（N. Gopalakrishna Iyer），他正在研究体外淋巴结保存技术。他荣获了国家杰出临床科学家奖。图片：新加坡国立大学-CDE

N·戈帕拉克里希纳·艾耶尔（图中），来自国家癌症研究中心（NCCS）的肿瘤外科医生，致力于体外淋巴结保存研究。他荣获了国家杰出临床科学家奖。

艾耶尔告诉《海峡时报》，他“很幸运能在这样一个时代从事这项工作，因为研究备受重视，临床科学家得到了很好的支持，而且有足够的灵活性和敏捷性让我们能够灵活应对”。

他说：“开展这类研究非常重要，因为在全球范围内，头颈癌往往获得的资金有限，因为它被认为是一种在亚洲高发的癌症。许多当前的治疗突破，尤其是在免疫疗法和细胞疗法方面，价格昂贵，该地区的许多患者都无法负担。”

他的目标是开发出成本更低的新疗法，造福所有人，“我们希望取得成功，这样我们就能为下一个走进诊所的头颈癌患者提供更多帮助”。

2026年国家医疗卓越奖获得者

全国杰出临床医生奖张永强盛港综合医院（SingHealth）

国家杰出临床科学家奖 N. Gopalakrishna Iyer 新加坡国立癌症中心（新加坡保健集团）

苏信义国立大学医院（国立大学医疗系统）

国家杰出临床导师奖：蔡祥进（Terrance Chua Siang Jin），新加坡国家心脏中心（新加坡保健集团）

彭永新邱德拔医院 (NHG Health)

全国杰出临床医生教育家奖 Nga Min En 国立大学医院（国立大学医疗系统）

凯文·陈国家神经科学研究所（新加坡保健集团）

国家临床卓越团队奖：一站式高危产科中心（STORK中心），KK妇女儿童医院（新加坡保健集团旗下），陈丽国、陈佩婷、陈泉文、郑美玲

国家社区护理卓越团队奖项目实现弹性和鼓舞人心的家庭 (ARIF) KK 妇女儿童医院 (SingHealth) Suzanna Sulaiman Nur Adila Ahmad Hatib Siti Nurzakiah Zaran Mohamad Helmy Mohamad Isa

KK妇女儿童医院