Professor Klima and Assistant Professor Kofidis - nuhcs

Associate Professor Lim YeanTengdeparts NUHDr James Yip, THI @ NUHA/Prof Lim Yean Teng or moreaffectionately called Y.T. leaves the NationalUniversity Cardiac Department after 20years of public service. In his own words:“I am the last link from Day One NUH tilltoday in the cardiac department.”Y.T.is known in Singapore, Chinaand the Asia Pacific region as a “peerless”interventional cardiologist. He is codirectorand founder of the Singapore andAsian Interventional CardiovascularTherapeutics Meeting and is a regular feature in many internationallive course meetings. A little known fact is that his initial trainingwas in Nuclear Cardiology for which he was still reporting regularlyup to the eleventh hour of his departure in NUH and still helpsout as a visiting consultant. He joined as a registrar in thedepartment in 1988 and rose within ten years to become its chiefin 1999. In 2003, he was called upon for higher service and wasappointed Chairman Medical Board (CMB) of NUH. No soonerhad he taken over this mantle did the SARS outbreak occur and hisabilities were severely tested. Although some of our doctorsdeveloped SARS in NUH, there were no fatalities or serioustransmissions to the community under his leadership.I remember Y.T. most as a leader who walks his talk. The“buck” literally stops with him. I remember an occasion when anelderly lady (who was not his patient) needed a bedpan. As all thenurses in the ward were busy attending their duties he personallywent to the utility room grabbed a bedpan and assisted the patient.Above A/Prof Lim Yean Teng is in the centre.A few minutes later a few red faced nurses appeared to assist theCMB in his ‘duties’. Dr Adrian Low remembers an occasion whena relatively young man who was dying from a heart attack, Y.T.spent half and hour squatting with his family members outside thecoronary care unit comforting the family.Despite his departure from full time service in the hospitaland the university, Y.T. is still a visiting consultant who comes backEVERY week to lend his expertise in the cath lab training ourinterventional fellows. He is known for his high and exactingstandards in cath lab and many a Fellow would have painful storiesto tell of being ‘dressed down’ for their shoddy work. Some of†theselifelong lessons they would care to repeat with pride as they inturn impart their skills to others.On behalf of our chief, A/Prof Tan Huay Cheem, we wishyou God’s blessing and success in your new practice, CardiologyAssociates in Mount Elizabeth Hospital.THI PULSE | 10