Former national swimmer Roy Chan, 60, has won medals for his prowess in the swimming pool, but yesterday he was recognised for his talents out of it.

The skin doctor, who in 1988 founded the charity Action for Aids, was yesterday lauded by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at an annual awards ceremony that recognised the contributions of healthcare professionals for their work in the field. Professor Chan has been with the National Skin Centre since 1988, and it was his work as a clinician that spurred his desire to help fight Aids and human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) infection in Singapore. Action for Aids does this through programmes such as its anonymous testing service.