Dr. Wong Sheau Hwa

Aviation Medicine/ Psychiatry

Credentials MBBS(S’pore), DAvMed(UK), MMED(Psychiatry), FAMS
Language English, Mandarin Chinese
Info

Dr Wong Sheau Hwa is a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Aviation Medicine Physician. He is currently the Director of SH Wong Sleep and Psychological Wellness Clinic. Dr Wong has been practising in the public service over the past 26 years. He holds a special interest in the practice of Sleep Medicine, helping patients who suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia, as well as helping the healthy to manage their sleep and fatigue issues.
He has been serving as a Visiting Psychiatrist to the Department of Psychological Medicine and Sleep Disorders Unit, at Singapore General Hospital since 2010, where he continues provide care for patients, and to train medical students and future specialists. He is also appointed as a Visiting Consultant to the Department of Psychological Medicine, and Changi Aviation Medicine Centre of Changi General Hospital since 2019.

He graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1996, subsequently completed his post-graduate training in Aviation Medicine with the Republic of Singapore Airforce (RSAF), Royal Airforce and King’s College London. He earned his Master’s Degree of Medicine (Psychiatry) from the National University of Singapore in 2005.

Prior to private practice, Dr Wong was a Senior Consultant in Psychiatry and Aviation Medicine with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). In 2013, he received the SAF post-graduate studies award to further his training in Sleep Medicine, as a visiting Scholar to the Stanford University School of Medicine-Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Medicine, Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital, and the Zeitzer Circadian Research Laboratory. He also previously served as Head, Psychological Care Centre of the SAF Military Medicine Institute, where he was awarded the National Day Award’s Commendation Medal for his work.

His last appointment was with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore as the Deputy Chairman of the Civil Aviation Medical Board, where he worked closely with the aviation community on mental wellness promotion, peer support programme development, fatigue management and sleep health for pilots and air traffic controllers.

Associated Treatments

He has special interests in the following areas:
• General Adult Psychiatry – Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Psychosis, Stress-related disorders.
• Sleep Disorders – Insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, parasomnias, sleep related movement disorders.
• Psychosomatic Medicine – adjunct treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic pain.

Publications

1. “Review of Sleep Studies Of Patients With Chronic Insomnia At A Sleep Disorder Unit.” Singapore Med J 2015; 56(6): 317-323

2. “Modafinil As a Stimulant For Military Aviators.” Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance 2019; 90(5):480-483

3. “Proposed Data-driven Approach For Occupational Risk Management of Aircrew Fatigue.” Safety and Health At Work Journal 2021; 12(4):462-470

Achievements

He was admitted as a Fellow with the Academy of Medicine Singapore in 2013 and is a founding member in its Chapter of Sleep Medicine Physicians, and member in its Section of Neuropsychiatry. In 2022, he was admitted as a Fellow with the Aerospace Medicine Association (AsMA, USA), as well as an Academician with the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine (IAASM, International Civil Aviation Organisation). He still serves as a lecturer (Mental Health) on the post-graduate certificate course in Aviation Medicine for Medical Examiners and Assessors, jointly conducted by the Singapore Aviation Academy and the IAASM.

Associations

• Member, and Medical Assessor of the Civil Aviation Medical Board, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
• Member of the Sub-specialty Training Committee and Examinations Committee, Aviation Medicine Sub-specialty Training Programme, Joint Committee for Specialist Training (Singapore)
• Gazetted Inspector of Accidents, Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Transport
• Member, Singapore Psychiatric Association since 2008
• Member, Singapore Sleep Society since 2010

Fellowships and Accreditations

• 1996
MBBS (NUS, Singapore)
• 2001
D Av Med (RCP, London, United Kingdom)
• 2005
MMed (Psych) (NUS, Singapore)
• 2013
FAMS (Academy of Medicine, Singapore)