Singapore General Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Singapore General Hospital |
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| SingHealth | |
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Singapore General Hospital's Block 4 in 2005
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| Geography | |
| Location | Bukit Merah, Central Region, Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°16′43.2″N 103°50′03.7″E / 1.278667°N 103.834361°E |
| Organisation | |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Hospital type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | Duke–NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore (NUS) |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes Accident & Emergency |
| Beds | 2,000 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1821 |
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is a very important hospital in Singapore. It's like a big learning center for doctors and a place where people go for special medical care. SGH is located near the Bukit Merah and Chinatown areas. It works closely with the Outram Community Hospital and Outram Polyclinic. All these places are run by SingHealth, which is part of Singapore's Ministry of Health.
SGH is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore. It's known as the country's main hospital. Its first building was started in 1821. The hospital has grown and been updated many times since then.
SGH is the main hospital for SingHealth, which is Singapore's biggest group of public hospitals. It's also the main teaching hospital for the Duke–NUS Medical School. This school works with the National University of Singapore. The SGH campus has four special medical centers. These are for eyes, heart, cancer, and teeth. A fifth center, the Elective Care Centre, is being built and will open in 2025.
SGH is considered one of the best hospitals in the world. It has often been in the top 10 list by Newsweek. In 2019, it was ranked 3rd globally. This makes it the highest-ranked hospital in Asia. Many patients from nearby countries come to SGH for treatment. The hospital performs many organ transplants, helping people get new chances at life.
Contents
A Look at SGH History
SGH: The Early Years
The Singapore General Hospital started in 1821. The first hospital was for British soldiers near the Singapore River. It moved a few times before settling at Outram Road in 1882.
The modern SGH began on March 29, 1926. It opened with 800 beds in new buildings. Today, only the Bowyer Block remains. It has a special clock tower. The Bowyer Block is now home to the SGH Museum.
In 1981, the hospital was rebuilt into its current 8-block complex. These blocks hold patient wards, support services, and research labs.
On April 1, 1989, the hospital changed how it was run. This was to make it more modern and meet patient needs. Even though it changed, SGH is still owned by the government. It is a not-for-profit hospital. More than 60% of its beds are for patients who get financial help. This makes sure everyone can get good, affordable healthcare.
SGH in the 21st Century
On March 31, 2000, the Ministry of Health made big changes to public healthcare. Since then, Singapore General Hospital has been managed by Singapore Health Services, or SingHealth.
In 2018, SGH announced plans to make its emergency room (A&E) bigger. They are building a new 12-story building. It will be four times larger than the current A&E. This new building will connect to other special centers. It will also connect to the Outram Community Hospital. This new facility is expected to open in 2023.
The SGH Museum
The Singapore General Hospital Museum holds many old items and records. Visitors can learn about SGH's long and interesting history here. It also shows how medical care and education grew in Singapore. The museum uses videos and multimedia to make learning fun.
Singapore's President SR Nathan officially opened the SGH Museum on May 20, 2005. The museum tells the hospital's story through different themes. Visitors can see how important events at the hospital affected people and the community.
SGH's Special Medical Centers
Singapore National Eye Centre
The Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) is a special place for eye care. It is the biggest eye specialist center in Singapore. It started in 1990 to provide special eye services. It also focuses on research and teaching. SNEC performs many eye surgeries and laser procedures each year. SNEC also studies eye problems like myopia (nearsightedness) and glaucoma. They look for new treatments.
SNEC has many rooms for check-ups and nine operating rooms. It also has research areas and a library.
National Cancer Centre Singapore
The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) is Singapore's main center for finding, studying, and treating cancer. It has the most cancer doctors in Singapore. It began in 1993 as part of Singapore General Hospital. Later, it became its own organization under SingHealth.
NCCS offers many medical, teaching, and research activities. They use a team approach to diagnose and treat cancer. It is the only center in Southeast Asia that offers all types of cancer care in one place.
The center also teaches future cancer doctors and nurses. It offers training for many local and international medical professionals.
In 2017, NCCS started building an extra facility. This new building will help more patients get cancer treatment. It will also have a new Proton Therapy Centre. This center will use proton therapy to treat cancer. It is the first and only hospital in the region with this special treatment. It is expected to open in 2022.
National Heart Centre Singapore
The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is a special medical center for cardiovascular diseases (heart and blood vessel problems). It also serves as a referral center for the region. It started in 1994 as the Singapore Heart Centre within SGH. It took over SGH's heart services. In 1998, it was renamed. In 2014, NHCS moved to a new building. This new building has clinics, testing areas, operating rooms, and special labs for heart procedures.
NHCS admits over 9,000 patients each year. It has 186 beds. This special center offers many heart treatments. These range from preventing heart problems to helping patients recover.
National Dental Centre Singapore
The National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) provides special oral healthcare services. It opened on March 1, 1997. It has many dental experts in one place. Its teams see over 700 patients every day. These include walk-in patients and those referred from other places. The center has 92 dental chairs and a day surgery room.
The center has three main specialist departments. These are for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, and Restorative Dentistry. They treat many different mouth conditions. The Restorative Dentistry department also has smaller units. These include Endodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics. NDCS also offers special team services for jaw surgery, facial rehabilitation, and facial pain.
The center is active in research and training. It focuses on teaching dentists. Since 2002, NDCS has been managed by Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd.
In 2019, the National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore (NUCOHS) also opened. It is another national facility for special dental services. It helps meet the growing need for public dental care. A new, larger National Dental Centre Singapore is also being built. It is expected to open by 2025. This will more than double its capacity. It will also expand its clinic for older patients.
Elective Care Centre
The Elective Care Centre (ECC) is a new facility being built. It will focus on surgeries that are not emergencies. This will help free up resources at the main hospital. It is expected to open in 2026.
