Inspiring a Movement for Better Health
In a world where healthcare often feels impersonal, DKSH Healthcare has created a movement that reconnects care with community. Launched in 2023, Patient Purpose Day is not merely an initiative but a symbol of the company’s long-standing commitment to patients. Held annually across Asia and Switzerland in alignment with World Patient Safety Day, Patient Purpose Daybrings together employees, clients, and partners to focus on real human needs. The 2024 theme, Elder Care, highlighted the importance of supporting the region’s rapidly aging populations through education, prevention, and empowerment.
With one in four people in the Asia Pacific projected to be aged 60 or older by 2050, DKSH’s initiative addressed a critical healthcare challenge. Across 11 markets, employees stepped beyond their corporate roles to become patient advocates and community changemakers. From organizing dementia awareness talks and free health screenings to funding cataract surgeries and providing mental health support, Patient Purpose Day delivered meaningful impact where it mattered most.
11 Markets, One Shared Purpose
The spirit of Patient Purpose Day 2024 was reflected in the diversity of initiatives across regions. In Thailand, the Patient Purpose Day Run raised funds for the Thai Red Cross Society’s Mobile Eye Surgery Clinic, delivering essential care to elderly patients in remote provinces. In Vietnam, DKSH collaborated with the Vietnam Youth Physician Association to offer free health checks and an Eyecare for Elderly webinar. Cambodia’s program screened over 300 patients and sponsored 50 cataract surgeries, while in Singapore, employees partnered with Dementia Singapore for befriending sessions and awareness programs at day care centers.
Each market embodied DKSH’s core values of collaboration, entrepreneurship, and purpose. In Australia, the Bake Off for Seniors campaign with Meals on Wheels raised funds and delivered baked goods and heartfelt messages to isolated elderly citizens. Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Korea each hosted workshops, donation drives, and educational events in partnership with leading clients including Abbott, Omron, and Alcon turning corporate collaboration into community compassion.
The Heart of Purpose and Partnership
What makes Patient Purpose Day exceptional is its deep integration with DKSH’s business philosophy. The initiative unites stakeholders across departments from marketing and HR to sustainability and compliance in one shared mission: to enrich people’s lives. The success of the 2024 program lay not just in its scale but in its authenticity. Over 183 media placements across the Asia Pacific amplified its reach, while six NGO partnerships extended its sustainability footprint beyond corporate borders.
Under the leadership of Bijay Singh, Global HeadBusiness Unit Healthcare, DKSH has redefined what it means to be a healthcare partner. By aligning its community initiatives with therapeutic focus areas like cardiovascular health, oncology, neurology, and diabetes management, DKSH ensures that every action contributes to its overarching goal of providing Healthcare for All.
A Legacy of Compassion and Corporate Citizenship
Beyond statistics, the impact of Patient Purpose Day lies in the human connections it fosters between patients and caregivers, employees and communities, corporations and causes. The initiative’s success stems from DKSH’s purpose-led culture that inspires empathy in action. It embodies the company’s core belief that healthcare extends beyond business performance, it is a promise to serve.
As DKSH continues to expand its reach across Asia and beyond, Patient Purpose Day stands as a reminder that progress is most meaningful when shared. Each market, each volunteer, and each partnership forms part of a collective journey toward a healthier, more compassionate future.
