Dietitians provide medical nutrition therapy to patients, which include individual counselling and nutritional support.
a) Diet counselling
Dietitians assess patients’ nutritional status, develop and plan nutrition treatments based on their medical, dietary and psychosocial history. Types of therapeutic diet counselling include:
• diabetes (type 1, type 2, gestational)
• dyslipidemia
• weight management (meal replacement, bariatric surgery, lap-banding)
• renal failure
• dialysis treatment (hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis)
• post organ transplants (kidney, liver, heart, lung)
• bone marrow transplant
• fatty liver
• inflammatory bowel disease
• cancer
• eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa)
• gout
• dysphagia
• osteoporosis
• conditions requiring hyperalimentation (e.g. burns, cancer & trauma)
b) Nutritional support
Patients who are critically ill and malnourished have difficulty meeting their nutritional requirements via diet intake alone. Therefore, Dietitians will need to design individualised nutrition plan for patients. Types of nutritional support include:
• nutritional supplements
• enteral tube feeding
• intravenous feeding
How To Make An Appointment
A referral letter from a doctor at Singapore General Hospital is necessary to indicate the patient's diagnosis and treatment, medication, laboratory values and any further plan of treatment eg. renal replacement therapy.
This helps the Dietitian to tailor the meal-plan according to the medical condition, and yet at the same time allows the patient to include his favourite foods in the special diet. Appointments will be given upon referral.
Dietitians at the Singapore General Hospital also provide outpatient diet counselling. The dietetics outpatient clinics are:
• General Clinic (L Clinic)
• Diabetes Clinic (Diabetes Centre)
• Gestational Diabetes Clinic (Diabetes Centre)
• Young Adult Diabetes Clinic (Diabetes Centre)
• Renal Clinic (L Clinic)
• Cardiac Clinic at National Heart Centre
• Nutrition Support Clinic (L Clinic)
• Peritoneal Dialysis Clinic (Peritoneal Dialysis Centre)
• Weight Management Clinic (LIFE Centre)
• Eating Disorder Clinic (LIFE Centre)
• Osteoporosis & Bone Health Clinic (LIFE Centre)
• Liver Transplant Clinic (L Clinic)
Our dietetics services are provided for patients who are referred by the doctors.
You will require a referral letter from your doctor if you need to consult the Dietitian.
For enquiries, please contact the Department of Dietetics at 6321 4801.
Group education
Dietitians conduct group nutrition education to inpatients and outpatients, family members and caregivers. Types of group classes include:-
• diabetes group education
• weight management group education
• cardiac rehabilitation programme
• antenatal classes
• eating disorder treatment programme
• colorectal surgery recovery programme
Multidisciplinary meetings/ward rounds
Dietitians participate in multidisciplinary meetings/ward rounds with the medical team, nursing and allied health professionals in the various specialties including parenteral nutrition support, renal, burns, eating disorder, liver transplant, neurosurgery, geriatrics, traumatic brain injury, bone marrow transplant and cardiology.
COMMUNITY NUTRITION
In addition to clinical work, the Dietitians also extend their skills and services to the community via public health campaigns, external consultancy and nutrition forums.
I) Workplace Health Promotion/Campaign
Dietitians are actively involved in promoting healthy food choices to staff, patients, visitors and public. Theme-specific nutrition campaigns are organised to highlight the link between nutrition, health and disease. Dietitians also reach out to specific groups of the population including the elderly to promote healthy eating.
II) External Consultancy
Dietitians conduct lectures and workshops to organisations and companies.
Head of Department
Loh Yet Hua (Dr)
PhD (United Kingdom)
Master of Science (Nutrition) (United Kingdom)
BSc (Hons) Dietetics (Malaysia)
Principal Dietitian
Tan Lee Boo
Master of Science (Nutrition) (United Kingdom)
BSc (Hons) Dietetics (Malaysia)
Pindar Yu Po Yee
Master of Nutrition & Dietetics (Australia)
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) (Australia)
Kala Adaikan
Master in Diabetes (United Kingdom)
BSc (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics (United Kingdom)
Senior Dietitian
Emily Quek Tsu Hwei
BSc (Hons) Nutrition & Dietetics (United Kingdom)
Catherine Chan Hoi Yan
Post-graduate Diploma in Dietetics
(United Kingdom/Hong Kong)
BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition & Foods (USA)