Telemedicine and baking: How Dr Iroshini Chua is navigating these strange times

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Telemedicine and baking: How Dr Iroshini Chua is navigating these strange times

To continue providing essential medical services to patients during the pandemic, Dr Iroshini Chua embraced technology by switching to telemedicine consultations. At abode, the practiced doctor bakes with her daughter to salve stress.

03 Aug 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 05 Jul 2022 01:30AM)

During Dr Iroshini Chua's most contempo trip to the beach, she spent much of her fourth dimension engrossed with her phone. Not because she was busy creating posts for social media – rather, she was decorated conducting telemedicine consultations with patients.

"After seeing 100 patients daily betwixt my husband and I – and working 10 to 12 hours daily, including weekends – I of a sudden felt the need to be immersed in nature," said Dr Chua, who co-founded Dr Kevin Chua Medical & Aesthetics with her husband, Dr Kevin Chua. Then the good doc took her work with her to the beach.

"Since technology allowed me to go along doing so no affair my physical location, I institute myself a placidity spot and continued seeing my patients."

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Information technology was a welcome change from conducting thousands of video consultations indoors over the past few months. "My patients didn't seem to notice since my background is pretty much obscured when using my mobile phone," she observed.

Since Singapore's circuit breaker began, her clinic has been partnering the Singapore government every bit a Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) by providing essential medical services. Although the practice is amend known for its artful procedures, it also provides care for astute and chronic medical conditions. So, to assistance convalesce the healthcare crunch in the midst of the COVID-19 crunch, Dr Chua and her husband felt it was their civic duty to participate in the initiative.

In addition, during the circuit breaker period, the aesthetic part of the business had come to a halt, necessitating a rapid accommodation to the situation. "Telemedicine was the perfect solution," said Dr Chua, noting that the Ministry of Health had instructed clinics to harness the use of technology as much as possible to maintain safety distancing. "We could go along to run across our patients while staying at dwelling house and could go on to generate an income when so many businesses were forced to close during this period."

In many ways, the onset of the pandemic had accelerated their transition to telemedicine. They had signed up for this technology via Doctor Anywhere last year but were not that agile on information technology as they were busy with moving their clinic to an Orchard Road location. Just now that telemedicine has become a new normal, the two doctors intend to go on with providing this service where possible, for their patients' convenience and safety.

Outside of piece of work, the glamorous Dr Chua also wears many hats. She is a jewellery designer and an avid home baker and melt, who is known to pamper friends and family unit with her delectable creations. The time spent at home has given her the opportunity to indulge in these domestic hobbies, while bonding with her daughter, Aiyana. Baking, in particular, has become a grade of stress management equally she juggles the increased workload of telemedicine consultations.

I of Dr Chua's dwelling-baked specialties is a block with colourful marbled icing. (Photo: Instagram/meltedmarblemd)

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"I have been nipping in and out of the kitchen between seeing patients via video consults and I really enjoy some bonding time with my daughter through baking and cake decorating," said Dr Chua. Their specialties include cakes with colourful marbled icing and ganache cupcakes. The designs for these haute bakes are inspired past Aiyana's flair for eye-catching color combinations.

To Aiyana's delight, they began receiving enquiries from interested customers. And so, they decided to fix an "Insta-bakery" and have since fulfilled a number of orders, said Dr Chua.

The doting mother also encourages her girl's creativity in other pursuits. Post-obit in her female parent'due south footsteps, Aiyana is also a budding jeweller who has designed pieces nether Dr Chua's label, Iroshini Jewellery, including a creation that was auctioned off at the UN Women'southward Snow (Say No to the Oppression of Women) Gala. "She is and then very creative and talented," said the proud mother.

Dr Chua is also quite the prolific traveller and photographer who has written travel articles and contributed photographs to media publications in Singapore. Simply while her globetrotting ways have been curtailed for the time being, Dr Chua said work had been besides extensive for her to think about one of her favourite leisure activities.

"To be honest. I did not become any cabin fever for the first six months as I was pretty much preoccupied with the pandemic as a medical doctor and its bear upon on the globe, my family and the clinic's finances. Travel was furthest from my mind," she said.

Nonetheless, every bit they say, the travel bug never really leaves once you lot have caught it. She remarked, "But now that I have adapted and settled into a new norm, it is starting to hitting me."

So, like many others who take had to adjust to the widespread travel curbs, she has coped with wanderlust by connecting with like-minded people around the globe. She said, "I have been following friends in other countries via social media as they explore their own countries, which allows me to enjoy their adventures through their photos. Likewise, I am keen to explore what Singapore has to offer and share my experiences on my social media."

For more insights on how Dr Iroshini Chua and other female game changers are navigating the future amidst a rapidly transforming digital landscape, tune in to CNA Luxury's Unfolding The Future panel discussion in partnership with Samsung.

Telemedicine and baking: How Dr Iroshini Chua is navigating these strange times

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