SINGAPORE — Ms Lynnette Ng, a palliative medical social worker, tried every possible strategy to help a patient with late-stage lung cancer come to terms with his illness, with little success.

In the end, it was a few pints of beer and a toast to fate and a life well lived that helped him face death in peace.

The 26-year-old yesterday became the youngest ever to win the Promising Social Worker Award.

President Tony Tan presented awards at the Istana to Ms Ng and two other social workers, who were honoured for their outstanding work, at the annual event organised by the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW).

Ms Ng said it is not always the “big gestures” that cheer patients up.

Instead, what is most important to the dying is “really our respectful presence — that ability to sit with them (through) their pain, listen to them non-judgmentally and show them we are here for them”, she added.

Even though she helps patients and their families cope with death, Ms Ng herself experienced a difficult time when she had to deal with the loss of her grandmother.

“Grief is a process that is very universal … and I feel it is important, as a result, to help bereaved families cope during this process,” she said.

A fellow recipient of the award was Senior Medical Social Worker Carmen Wu from Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The 32-year-old hopes to provide support and training to the medical team to assist in palliative care in the intensive care unit.

During her four years at the hospital, she helped set up a clinic for the elderly with cognitive and memory problems and started its first palliative care programme for volunteers.

Ms Yogeswari Munisamy, Principal Social Worker at The Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centres, won the Outstanding Social Worker Award.

While the 39-year-old was chair of Public Relations at the SASW, she led a team in 2007 to organise Singapore’s inaugural Social Worker’s Day, which has since been celebrated annually.

“(Ms Yogeswari’s) consistent and selfless contribution in giving back to the profession is what impressed us the most,” said SASW President Alvin Chua.

Ms Yogeswari is now working to put her expertise on paper, focusing her research on social-work practice with children.

“After 17 years (in the) practice, it is time to consolidate ... to start writing up some pieces of work,” she said.

Each winner received a Personal Development Grant, which was doubled this year to between S$8,000 and S$10,000, from ExxonMobil Asia Pacific.