Adventist Lifestyle Centre – A Journey to Wholistic Health

Penang Adventist Hospital stands out as the prominent wholistic health centre that comes in a preventive-oriented approach backed up by a dedicated support group in counselling.

Its Adventist Lifestyle Centre (ALC), formerly known as AWC- Adventist Wellness Centre, opened since 1995, is a solid testimonial for the hospital’s unwavering devotion to ensure the vital health value system in the medical practice remains intact.

ALC Vice-President for Wellness Dr. Dicky Ng is at the helm to reach out to corporate bodies and individuals for regular health screening, particularly in the cardiac and diabetes segments.

He said being a pioneer in the wholistic health sector had given Adventist the edge over other hospitals.

“Adventist came on board to the wholistic health sector before anyone else in the industry and we have been constantly in touch with our patients through regular visits and workshops held at the premises or on-site.

“To underline our credentials, Adventist Hospital has received thumbs up from the World Health Organisation accreditation in three areas – health promotion, hospitals, and health services.

“We are in a position to help through the pro-active stand and health audit.”

Dr. Dicky Ng, who is also Diabetes Malaysia’s Penang branch chairman, said ALC had prioritised its quit smoking programme as the main feature of the hospital’s comprehensive health prevention approach.

 “We have targeted the healthy age group to engage them in our various screening programmes, with 90 per cent of them as our customers,” Dr. Dicky Ng said.

As part of International Adventist Network as a non-profit hospital, Penang Adventist Hospital became the pioneer to incorporate wholistic health into their services.

With the strong belief towards this whole new approach, ALC was established in 2014 with the main objective of healing patients in a wholistic approach.

Its multidisciplinary medical team (specialists, medical doctors, nurses, and nutritionists) are ready to assist patients with total healing, which covers physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual. In wholistic health, it involves three major stages: wellness screening, lifestyle intervention, and lifestyle support.

The following programmes are being offered to meet different needs from various groups; namely Wellness Screening, Visa Screening, Occupational Health Services, Pre-Employment Screening and Pre-University Screening.

In a related development, Dr. Dicky Ng said by virtue of the WHO recognition, Adventist is the preferred location for people to seek health preventive advice.

“The WHO accreditation serves as a framework for lifestyle medicine for every department in Adventist to follow,” he added.

ALC has been designed differently from other departments in the hospital, to create a positive, lively yet relaxing ambience for all guests.

The support groups at Adventist Hospital comprise Our Mended Heart (for those with heart disease), Diabetic Support Group (for those with diabetes), Breathe Free Alumni (for those undergone quit smoking programme) and WAW Alumni (for those who undergone weight management programme).

Volunteers are on hand to help walk-in patients at clinical workshops held weekly.

Affable Doctor a Wellness Icon who Walks the Talk

Adventist Lifestyle Centre (ALC) Vice-President Dr. Dicky Ng  has an easy disposition who is caring with a smiling face and passionate when talking about wholistic wellness lifestyle.

A vegetarian, he walks the talk and speaks with much zest about living a healthy lifestyle by observing a good diet, adequate exercise, and strong spiritually-oriented positive thinking.

Dr. Dicky Ng’s own lifestyle embodies living “The ADVENTIST WELLSTYLE” (Adventist Wellness Lifestyle) and he is passionate about sharing with all whom he comes into contact with to live ‘WELLSTYLE’.

He conducts wellness health screenings, provides corporate occupational health consultancy and directs health care improvement programmes such as Clinical Pathway Development.

Dr Dicky Ng leads and develops diabetes care/support programme and currently chairs the Penang chapter of Malaysian Diabetes.

“Our emphasis is on prevention as opposed to treatment through tried and tested methods such as food intake and that is why the hospital serves vegetarian meals at wards as well as in the cafeteria,” he said.

“Prevention is better than cure at any time in a person’s lifespan. ALC has spared no effort to focus on finding tailor-made ways to make smokers quit the bad habit.”

Ng Kam Ling a crusader

Since recovering from diabetes in 2000, Ng Kam Ling, 72, has turned volunteer to help out at various diabetes screening sessions at Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH), Diabetes Malaysia Penang Branch and other public places.

For a decade, she is a fixture at PAH every Mondays and Wednesdays engaging with walk-in patients to encourage them to adopt a wholistic healthy lifestyle.

“I am giving back the happiness I am experiencing now after recovering from diabetes to lead a normal life once again. My role as a support group member with the Penang Adventist Hospital is rewarding as it allows me to help diabetes people by directing them to a wholistic healthy lifestyle.

Ng Kam Ling (seated left) sharing her experience.