Changi General Hospital

Changi General Hospital (Abbreviation: CGH; Chinese: 樟宜综合医院; Malay: Hospital Besar Changi) is a 790-bed hospital located in Simei, eastern Singapore. It is Singapore's first purpose-built general hospital to serve communities in the east and north-east regions.

The hospital has a comprehensive range of more than 23 medical services, from general surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, ENT to orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine. It houses six specialist centres – Breast Centre, Changi Sports Medicine Centre, Diabetes Centre, Geriatric Centre, Integrated Sleep Service and Medical Centre for International Travellers.

The hospital is JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited.

History

On 15 February 1997, the Old Changi Hospital merged with Toa Payoh Hospital to form New Changi Hospital and began to move into the present premises. The hospital was declared officially opened on 28 March 1998 by then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Under Singapore’s public healthcare restructuring, the hospital became part of the Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) cluster in 2000.^[1]

Over the years, the hospital expanded its clinical services to include Sports Medicine, Dermatology, Psychological Medicine, Rheumatology and Neurosurgery, and introduced specialist centres to meet the healthcare needs of the population.

On 11 April 2005, the Changi General Hospital became the first acute care hospital to integrate care with a community hospital, St. Andrew’s Community Hospital. Both hospitals are connected by a sheltered link bridge to facilitate the transfer of care for patients. On 11 June 2005, the hospital was the second hospital in Singapore to receive the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. It was the first hospital to have a JCI accreditation for its Heart Failure Programme and Acute Myocardial Infarction Programme.

To build on its expertise in sports medicine and create capacity for more sports specialists, the hospital acquired Singapore Sports Medicine Centre on 1 November 2010.

On 1 April 2011, the hospital became legally independent of SingHealth.

On 18 November 2011, the hospital became a founding member of the Eastern Health Alliance.

Medical and clinical support services

Medical services

• Accident & Emergency
• Anaesthesia & Surgical Intensive Care
• Cardiology
• Dental Clinic
• Dermatology
• Ear, Nose and Throat (Otolaryngology)
• Endocrinology
• Eye (Ophthalmology)
• Gastroenterology
• General Medicine
• General Surgery
• Geriatric Medicine
• Laboratory Medicine
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Psychological Medicine
• Radiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Urology

Clinical support services

• Clinical Measurement Unit
• Dietetic & Food Services
• Laboratory Service
• Medical Social Services
• Pharmacy
• Podiatry
• Radiography
• Rehabilitative Services

Major milestones

• 1996: The hospital opened its doors as New Changi Hospital on 18 December.

• 1998: The Changi General Hospital was officially opened by then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 28 March.

• 1999: Launched Skills for Life programmes to help patients and their caregivers cope with their illness.

• 2000: Launched new clinical services: sports medicine, dermatology, psychological medicine, rheumatology and neurosurgery.

• 2001: Launched the online pharmacy www.mypharmacy.com.sg on 17 July to provide 24-hour access for patients and public to purchase homecare and retail medical supplies.

• 2002: Launched a charity fund HomeCare Assist to help needy ill or bedridden patients when they are discharged from the hospital.

• 2003: Opened the Endoscopy Centre, Changi Sports Medicine Centre, and Clinical Trials and Research Unit.

• 2004: Opened the Geriatric Centre on 19 July to offer one-stop convenience to elderly patients, and the Sleep Lab a week later.

• 2005: Opened a sky bridge connecting to St. Andrew’s Community Hospital on 15 April. Also became the second hospital in Singapore to receive the Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation.

• 2006: Launched the Singapore Sports Medicine Centre on 1 September to cater to patients who prefer to seek consultation at a more central location.

• 2007: Received the JCI Disease-Specific Care certification for both its Heart Failure Programme and Acute Myocardial Infarction Programme on 19 April. The Division of Psychological Medicine launched the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Singapore in partnership with MHFA Australia on 13 December to raise mental health awareness and literacy in Singapore.

• 2008: Launched myhealth.sg, Singapore’s first online weight management programme on 5 September.

• 2009: CGH doctors Dr Kelvin Chew and Dr Lim Kay Kiat led an all-Singaporean medical team in the Singapore Grand Prix.

• 2010: Opened its Renal Dialysis Unit to patients on 9 February. Started the Medical Therapy Management programme in March to help patients manage their medication regime. First hospital to use drug-eluting balloons to improve blood supply in limbs and reduce the risk of amputation for diabetic patients.

• 2011: On 18 November, became a founding member of the Eastern Health Alliance, a regional health system to make healthcare more integrated and hassle-free for the people of eastern Singapore.

References

External links

• Changi General Hospital - official website
• Eastern Health Alliance - official website