THE VIRUS NEMESIS

Meet Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Dr) Vernon Lee, a man fascinated by infectious diseases and dedicated to fighting them.

His dreams started out with becoming a fighter pilot, but when they were dashed because of a medical condition, LTC (Dr) Lee found his passion in another route that promised a military life too - as a medical officer.

However, the bespectacled 37-year-old is not your average doctor. He specialises in public health and preventive medicine - this means researching medical issues, crafting policies and educating the public on ways to prevent and reduce the chances of being infected by diseases such as deadly viruses.

"I saw medicine as a way to alleviate suffering but I'm also the kind of person who can't sit still. I couldn't envision myself sitting in an office and seeing patients for the rest of my life," explained LTC (Dr) Lee.

Battling with SARS

What truly pushed the Head of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Biodefence Centre (BDFC) to his specialisation was a brush with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003. As a junior medical officer with the then-Preventive Medicine Branch, he was asked to investigate a patient suspected to be down with SARS and, subsequently, roped in to help with battling the virus.

"You know how you read about health professionals going into the field, not knowing whether it would be their last day? I felt like that at that time," he recalled.

Through this encounter, he saw the courage, sacrifice and fighting spirit of Singaporeans. He remembers vividly the doctors and nurses who volunteered to stay on in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, even though they were not rostered, because they were familiar with the procedures and did not want others to be put at risk of contamination. There was also a professor and fellow doctor who helped out but succumbed to SARS.

"I saw the devastation of infectious diseases and how we actually went out of the way to fight and overcome it. That was what pushed me to go into public health."

Invisible protection

Set up in 2008, the BDFC was formed to protect the SAF against biological threats, and the centre prepares for and prevents possible diseases through surveillance, research and activities like vaccinations, on top of dealing with outbreaks.

To combat diseases such as influenza and dengue, the BDFC works with agencies like the Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency to understand how they spread and the best measures to control them. According to LTC (Dr) Lee, these collaborations have been very successful in bringing down disease rates within the SAF.

"Our soldiers live in a very unique environment, which are close quarters, and this makes them more susceptible to outbreaks. An outbreak means downtime, and that reduces the operational readiness and training tempo of our troops."

LTC (Dr) Lee was also responsible for the eradication of malaria risk on Pulau Tekong. The island is regularly sprayed with BTI, a bacteria which targets mosquito larvae. Another solution was to weave permethrin, an insect repellent, into the new pixelised uniforms. In the past, recruits had to take malaria pills before heading to Pulau Tekong.

"Previously, when our troops went to malaria endemic places, they had to soak their uniforms in permethrin. It was cumbersome and smelled bad," explained LTC (Dr) Lee.

"So when the new pixelated uniforms were developed, we worked with the logistics team to impregnate the chemical into the fabric that can last multiple washes."

Fighting an evolving threat

Aside from giving his utmost to the SAF and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief missions, LTC (Dr) Lee was seconded to the World Health Organisation (WHO). He is currently sitting on several national and international expert working groups to combat dengue and influenza.

Working in such large international organisations requires great networking and communication skills. Luckily, being in the SAF has taught him to work well with people from all walks of life, and built up his confidence in public speaking.

"In the SAF, you have to (deal with) a lot of people and it's not always easy to make them understand what we are trying to do or follow what you say. We work with the policy makers, the ground troops and the commanders. That taught me very good lessons in communication," he said.

Diseases often evolve rapidly, and LTC (Dr) Lee relishes the challenge. He views combating every new disease almost as a kind of adventure - one where he must constantly learn, adapt and respond to appropriately.

Part of his plans include training and equipping his team with the knowledge that he has, and helping the BDFC maintain that cutting edge and expand into new areas.

"If I don't play my part in defending against infectious diseases, thousands of people will be affected. That's why I'm still staying on in the SAF. There's still a lot to be done."