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SINGAPORE – Alexandra Hospital, which was taken over by the National University Health System (NUHS) in June, plans to open new facilities and increase its number of beds by 300 by 2020.
The hospital in Queenstown plans to add to the current situation.
Jason Phua at the hospital's open house on Sunday (Oct 28).
In January next year, the hospital has opened a new operating theater, a joint reconstruction and replacement center, an endoscopy center, an admissions and service center, and a pharmacy.
A dental center and palliative care program are set to start operations, said Associate Professor Phua.
By the end of this year, the hospital will have new patients, and it will be added when the need arises, he added.
"Even before we took over Alexandra Hospital, we went to Queenstown and surveyed many residents to understand how we could better meet their healthcare needs," he told reporters. Alexandra Hospital was run by the Sengkang Health Team, before the team moved to the new Sengkang General Hospital this year.
Prof Phua said one of the residents asked for a way to navigate the healthcare system.
The hospital has thus rolled out an integrated care model, in which patients with many chronic conditions need to be considered.
At the event, Dr. Chia Shi-Lu, MP for Tanjong Pagar RCMP, who oversees Queenstown, noted that the country has an estimated population of 100,000 and is one of the highest concentrations of western residents of Singapore.
Close to 20 percent of residents are aged 65 and over, he added, and a significant proportion at risk of social isolation, or may not be able to manage their chronic illnesses well.
Given that many residents live with multiple chronic illnesses, he said, they will be key to helping them detect diseases and take action before it is too late.
About 500 taxi drivers and their families at Alexandra Hospital, and were given health tips.
Said Alexandra Hospital Cardiologist Jeanette Ting: "Based on studies done locally, about 10 to 15 per cent of our patients with cardiac disease are taxi, bus or lorry drivers."
"Many factors contribute to this: a long sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary habits and a lack of exercise," she added.
Housewife Lam Lai Peng, 69, has a Queenstown resident of over 30 years, said Alexandra Hospital, which is a 20-minute walk from her home.
"My 97-year-old mother-in-law stays in the hospital when she feels unwell," she said.
Madam Lam hopes that the range of facilities and increase in beds will be able to be able to cater to the family in case of any emergencies. "It's a lot more expensive, and the taxi will be cheaper," she said.
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