More beds at Raffles Hospital with opening of new wing, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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More beds at Raffles Hospital with opening of new wing

This article is more than 12 months old

This is due to opening of new Raffles Specialist Centre in North Bridge Road

Raffles Hospital will have more beds for patients, with the opening of the 22-storey Raffles Specialist Centre in North Bridge Road.

The number of beds for patients receiving subsidised treatments - at rates similar to what public hospitals charge - will be doubled to 64.

The centre, which is linked to Raffles Hospital, consolidates 16 outpatient specialist clinics in the new building, with two new additions - the breast and vascular intervention centres.

The remaining nine specialist centres are located in the refurbished hospital. All specialist centres were previously located in the hospital.

With the freed-up space, levels 10 and 13 in the hospital have been converted into wards.

At the official opening yesterday, Raffles Medical Group executive chairman and co-founder Loo Choon Yong said the centre, which has been in operation since January last year, represents a 70 per cent increase in floor area.

The entire project, which included refurbishment works to the hospital, cost the group $300 million and will allow Raffles Hospital to gradually increase the number of beds from 180 to 307.

The decision to build a new wing came about as the hospital was facing space constraints in 2010.

The group also wanted to invest in new technology to serve patients more comprehensively, said Dr Loo.

In the next few months, the hospital will offer radiotherapy services, robotic surgery and hybrid operating theatres with scanners to better locate tumours.

At yesterday's event, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that as the healthcare needs of Singaporeans rise, the collaboration between the public and private healthcare sectors will become more important.

"(The partnership is) a very important way in which we can make sure that quality healthcare is accessible to Singaporeans and at a reasonable cost," he added.

DUTY

"The private sector has a duty of care to Singaporeans to ensure that the care it delivers is appropriate and at a reasonable cost."

The group said that the new ward on level 13 in the hospital is for patients under the Ministry of Health's Emergency Care Collaboration scheme.

Singapore Civil Defence Force ambulances have been taking patients who need emergency care to Raffles Hospital for subsidised treatments since 2015.

These patients receive medical treatment at subsidised rates, similar to public hospital rates.

More than 10,000 patients have benefited from this collaboration as of last year.

The new ward on level 10 consists of 64 beds for patients - in four-bed and two-bed rooms, 43 suites priced at $888 and upwards a night, as well as a new $5,888 a night presidential suite.

MEDICAL & HEALTH