Raffles Medical Group
Raffles Medical Group (RMG), (Chinese: 莱佛士医疗集团) is Singapore’s largest private healthcare provider, offering integrated healthcare services.[1][2][3] RMG runs a hospital and a network of clinics with family physicians, specialists and dental surgeons[4] and owns Raffles Hospital, a tertiary care hospital,[4] which accommodates surgical centres, medical laboratories and 21 specialist centres in various areas like Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Cardiology, Oncology and Orthopaedics.[3] RMG’s medical practice is based on the Group Practice Model,[5] as this model ensures clinical leadership and membership of medical staff’s commitment to a high standard of medical practice.[2]
In 1976, the group's founders, Dr Loo Choon Yong and Dr Alfred Loh opened their first two clinics in Singapore's Central Business District (CBD) with the aim of providing medical services to corporate clients. By 1989, this had grown to five clinics and it was then that the two friends decided to incorporate their clinics into a medical practice group. Expanding after its incorporation, RMG moved into Singapore's HDB heartlands with their first neighbourhood clinic in 1993. More similar clinics soon followed in other estates.
In 1990, RMG tendered and obtained a contract with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to provide medical services to the passengers transiting through Changi International Airport as well as airport workers. This also marked RMG's first 24-hour clinic.
Today, RMG runs a network of 74 multi-disciplinary clinics across Singapore, and four medical centres in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Airport clinics in Singapore’s Changi International Airport and Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok International Airport are also managed by them.
The Group's flagship hospital is Raffles Hospital. It is located in Bugis and consists of 20 different specialist centres which provides specialist services such as obstetrics and gynaecology, cardiology, oncology and orthopaedics.[6]
In 2005, RMG also began offering health financing under its subsidiary International Medical Insurers (IMI). RMG also has its own consumer healthcare division which develops and distributes a full range of nutraceuticals, supplements, vitamins and medical diagnostic equipment.
RMG uses the Institutional Group Practice Model. Through this model, specialists work as a team to provide patients quality medical services that are integrated, peer reviewed and medically audited.
Milestones
1976: Partners Dr Loo Choon Yong and Dr Alfred Loh took over Teng’s Clinics at Cecil Street and Maxwell House, and operated the practice under the name Drs Teng & Partners on 1 August.
1980: To serve the growing patient load, the Cecil Street clinic was relocated to a larger 2000 sq ft unit in Tuan Sing Tower and the name of the practice was changed to Raffles Medical Group, adopting the name of Dr Loo and Dr Loh’s alma mater – Raffles Institution.
1982: Raffles Medical Group established its flagship clinic in Straits Trading Building to serve the corporate community in the commercial centre in Raffles Place.
1990: Raffles Medical Group was appointed in June to be the exclusive medical provider for Changi international Airport operating clinics in passenger Terminal 1 and 2 and the Cargo Complex. A round the clock, service was started to serve the 24 million passengers transiting through the Changi International Airport and airport workers.
1992: At a time whereby healthscreening was growing in popularity among Singaporeans, Raffles Diagnostica was set up to provide laboratory and radiology services to complement the Group’s medical services.
1993: As the network of clinics expanded, the idea for an ambulatory surgery centre took shape when Raffles SurgiCentre opened on 18 September at No. 182 Clemenceau Avenue as the first standalone day surgery centre in Southeast Asia.
1994: Raffles Medical Group’s flagship clinic in Straits Trading Building moved to Caltex House.
1995: At a time when expatriates doctors are making their way out of Hong Kong. Raffles Medical Group opened its first overseas clinic in Hong Kong at the Lane Crawford Building on Queen’s Road in December.
1996: With companies looking for ways to contain employee healthcare costs, the Group started its managed care programme – RafflesCare – under an exempt insurance licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
1997: Raffles Medical Group acquired, in January, the Raffles medical groups – Drs Oram & Partners - which provided a platform for expansion of its Hong Kong practices. In order to provide for tertiary medical support, the Group had to raise funds in the capital market, on 11 April, Raffles Medical Group became the first full-fledged healthcare provider to go public in Singapore when it got listed on SESDAQ, the second board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore.
1998: The Group stake increases in Hong Kong when it was appointed exclusive medical provider for Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport.
2000: First Representative Office opened in March to coup with the growing number of Indonesian patient.
2001: Raffles Hospital Commences operations on 31 March. The first inpatients of Raffles Hospital were seven patients transferred from the SurgiCentre. The first Raffles baby, Foo Xing Yin, was born at 7.20pm, 19 July. She was delivered by Consultant Obstetrician Dr Joan Thong Pao Wen.
2002: Raffles Hospital was officially opened by then Deputy Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong on 16 March.
Raffles Medical Group’s humanitarian arm – The Medical Foundation – was set up to serve the community.
First open heart surgery was successfully performed on Mdm Lim Eng Neo, in June. RMG’s flagship clinic at Caltex House was moved to OUB Centre in December.
2003: Raffles Japanese Clinic was set up on 15 January to serve an exclusively Japanese clientele. Manned by a team of Japanese doctors, nurses and staff.
During the SARS period, Raffles Medical Group was appointed by Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in March to conduct temperature screening at the air, land and sea border checkpoints.
Raffles Health was launched in March to develop and distribute quality personal healthcare products. Among its earliest products was the SARS Protect kit.
Seeking separate lives, Iranian twin Laleh and Ladan Bijani came to Raffles Hospital. Their surgery was carried out in July. After consulting doctors at the Great Omond Street Children’s Hospital in London, the Mins form Korea came to Raffles Hospital to separate their conjoined daughters. In July, twins Ji Hye and Sa Rang were successfully separated.
Launch of Health@Work – a health management consultancy service for corporate clients wishing to implement employee health programmes in the workplace.
2004: RMG set up a Representative Office in Dhaka, Bangladesh in June to meet the needs of this fast-growing market.
The first living donor renal transplant was successfully performed on a businessman, Mr Um Sun Ho on 13 September.
Acupuncture services were made available in April 2005.
Raffles Medical Group’s Humanitarian arm, renamed Asian Medical Foundation, sent its relief mission to Aceh on 26b December to assist in the 2004 Boxing Day Asian Tsunami Crisis.
As the Monetary Authority of Singapore liberalised its restrictions on medical insurance, the Group wrote insurance plans for individuals or policies beyond one year. International Medical Insurers was issued a licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in November. It commenced operations as a general insurance company on 2 January 2005, restricted to accident and health insurance.
2005: Opening of 6 new Raffles Medical Clinics. Raffles Hospital is a fast-growing international patients’ hub. 35% of the hospital’s patients are foreigners, comprising nationals from 100 countries. Patients from core markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia have increased and the Hospital has seen an emergence of new markets such as Korea, Myanmar and the Russian Far East.
2006: The Monetary Authority of Singapore approved the conversion of IMI’s general insurance licence to a life insurance licence on 31 March. This allows it to write long-term, guaranteed renewable health insurance products.
The relaxing of Ministry of Health policies to allow TCM practices in hospitals saw the opening up of the Raffles Chinese Medicine on 1 April to offer services in herbal medicine, acupressure, and acupuncture.
Patient Liaison Office in Ho Chih Minh City in Vietnam was set up on 1 February to meet the needs of the growing Vietnamese market.
Raffles Hospital International (RHI), the international arm of RMG was started in 2006 to add value through consultancy, management and training by harnessing the wide expanse of expertise and experience of professional staff in the group to tailor programs that meet the needs of the clients.
RMG has already been providing consultancy services to the Middle Eastern government.
2007: In June, the Group announced that it will acquire the remaining 50 per cent of the Raffles Hospital building which is owned by Capitaland-Raffles Properties Pte Ltd.
A 100 per cent ownership of the building will give RMG continued use of the building and full flexibility to achieve better operating efficiency by improving the use of various parts of the building. (http://www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com/ImgUpd/PressRelease18Jun07.pdf)
Raffles Health – the Group’s consumer healthcare unit – has made steady inroads into Indonesia and Hong Kong. It was re-launched in 2007 with new products and a brand new look.
2008: One stop medical centre opened in the new Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 offering general medical, dental, aesthetics, women and health screening services.
2009: In view of its commitment to quality care, Raffles Hospital received the Joint Commission International Accreditation in January 2009.
2010: According to [7] Global Insurance, Raffles opened its first medical centre in Shanghai. Based in the Innov Tower at the business park along Hong Mei Lu, the medical centre is ideally positioned to serve the expatriate and local community in the city.
References
- ↑ Naidu, R.T. (2002). "Raffles Medical Group".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Singapore Business Awards 2013" (PDF). 2013.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Hospitals and Other Healthcare Organisations". n.d.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 A journey of faith: The Raffles Medical Story. Singapore: Raffles Medical Group. ISBN 9810560850.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ "Vision and Philosophy". 2014.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ "Hospital: Overview". Raffles Medical Group. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ↑ "Raffles Medical Group Opens Medical Center in Shanghai". International Insurance News. 6 July 2010.
External links
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