Daisy Vaithilingam
IHFS – Excellence Award (Posthumously) For Pioneering Medical Social Service
A pioneering medical social worker whose incredible contributions to social welfare in Singapore have left a lasting impact. As one of the first graduates of the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950, she embarked on a mission to improve the lives of people in her community, motivated by the legacy of her parents—her stepfather, a doctor, and her mother, a nurse.
Her career began during a challenging era for Singapore, marked by the aftermath of the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation. Hospitals were overwhelmed with issues stemming from widespread poverty, malnutrition, and disease. Daisy took it upon herself to assist patients in navigating these difficulties, working tirelessly to provide them with food and financial resources, which gradually led to improved conditions for many individuals and families.
Daisy was instrumental in pioneering several key initiatives during her career. A significant milestone was her role in establishing Singapore’s first fostering scheme for abandoned children, which started with hospital attendants and amahs caring for these vulnerable children and evolved into a proper Social Welfare program. Her advocacy for mentally disabled children included securing financial aid for their parents and working tirelessly to promote social inclusion.
In addition to these initiatives, she played a vital role in setting up the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW) and chaired the first Committee on the Care of the Aged. Daisy believed in the importance of connecting patients to not only hospital services but also to community resources. Her vision led to the creation of a resource information service in hospitals, enabling patients to access critical information about treatment costs and local support services.
Throughout her career, she also contributed to community projects, including establishing a communal residence for resource-poor women where a Matron could care for those unable to care for themselves. In the 1980s, she helped to create the Master of Social Work (MSW) Department at the National University Hospital, further cementing her influence in the field of social work.
Daisy was not only a social worker; she was also a passionate educator, lecturing in social work at NUS for 15 years. Her compassion and sense of justice shone through in her advocacy efforts, such as identifying and campaigning for the release of children wrongly placed in Woodbridge Hospital (now the Institute of Mental Health), ensuring they were either adopted or placed in foster care.
Daisy Vaithilingam passed away on August 6, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer, but her legacy continues. Her ethos, captured in her words “Even today, if I can, I will,” reflects a lifelong commitment to helping others and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Daisy’s impact on the field of social work in Singapore remains profound, inspiring future generations to follow her example of compassion, dedication, and advocacy.