Alexandra Hospital
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Hospital is a 400-bed hospital
located in the south-western part of Singapore
. Nestled in a 110,000 square metre land, the hospital is a picture of tranquil setting, lined with mostly colonial style buildings built since the late 1930s. It was also the site of a massacre during World War II
.
Established in 1938, the hospital served as the principal hospital for the British in the Far East
and was known as the British Military Hospital. During the Battle of Singapore
in February 1942, the hospital was the scene of a massacre by Japan
ese soldiers of the wounded British and some of the medical staff. After World War II
to the 1970s, Alexandra Hospital remained as one of the most modern hospitals in Singapore right to the 1970s.
In its heyday, Alexandra Hospital was an institution that adopted cutting-edge medical technology and was the first hospital in Southeast Asia to successfully perform limb re-attachment to a patient. Alexandra Hospital possessed several well-known medical expertise. These include:
The hospital was handed over to the government of Singapore
in 1971 and remained as Alexandra Hospital. On 1 October 2000, the hospital became a member of the National Healthcare Group
when it underwent major upgrading of its facilities.
In 2001, plans were made to move to a new hospital in Jurong by 2006 . However, in 2004, these plans were scrapped in favour of a move to a new 500-bed hospital in Yishun to be called Northern General Hospital, by March 28, 2009..
(This hospital in Yishun is not to be confused with another new hospital planned for nearby Woodlands, which was announced in March 2006, on the basis that Northern General would not be enough to serve people living in the north.)
On May 16, 2007, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan while attending the HIMSS AsiaPac 2007 conference announced that the new general hospital in Yishun has been named Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
. The family of late Mr Khoo Teck Puat
had donated S$125 million towards building and funding the hospital. The new hospital would be different from other hospitals as it promises to put patients first and aims to minimise bureaucracy and paperwork. It was initially planned for Alexandra Hospital to be closed after KTPH was opened, but the hospital will now remain in operation until Jurong General Hospital is completed by 2014 and was transferred to Jurong Health after August 2010.
In the gardens is a commemorative plaque honouring the brave soldiers and staff who were killed while defending the hospital in 1942. Some of the dead were victims of a Japanese counteroffensive where Japanese forces overran the hospital and executed staff and patients.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
located in the south-western part of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Nestled in a 110,000 square metre land, the hospital is a picture of tranquil setting, lined with mostly colonial style buildings built since the late 1930s. It was also the site of a massacre during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and was known as the British Military Hospital. During the Battle of Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
in February 1942, the hospital was the scene of a massacre by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese soldiers of the wounded British and some of the medical staff. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to the 1970s, Alexandra Hospital remained as one of the most modern hospitals in Singapore right to the 1970s.
In its heyday, Alexandra Hospital was an institution that adopted cutting-edge medical technology and was the first hospital in Southeast Asia to successfully perform limb re-attachment to a patient. Alexandra Hospital possessed several well-known medical expertise. These include:
- Sir Roy CalneRoy CalneSir Roy Yorke Calne, FRS, is a British surgeon and pioneer in organ transplantation; he performed the first liver transplantation operation in Europe in 1968. His surgical procedures also laid claim to many other pioneering successes in his career: the world's first liver, heart, and lung...
, an international renowned transplant surgeon - Major A.P. Dignan, a world famous transplant surgeon and professor of Surgery in the University of Cambridge, Clinical School
- Sir Weatherakk, Regius professor of medicine and Honorary Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine at University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
The hospital was handed over to the government of Singapore
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
in 1971 and remained as Alexandra Hospital. On 1 October 2000, the hospital became a member of the National Healthcare Group
National Healthcare Group
National Healthcare Group is a Singapore group of healthcare institutions. The group was formed in 2000 and has one public hospital across the island, three specialist centres and runs eight polyclinics as well. The group operates Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Institute of Mental Health...
when it underwent major upgrading of its facilities.
In 2001, plans were made to move to a new hospital in Jurong by 2006 . However, in 2004, these plans were scrapped in favour of a move to a new 500-bed hospital in Yishun to be called Northern General Hospital, by March 28, 2009..
(This hospital in Yishun is not to be confused with another new hospital planned for nearby Woodlands, which was announced in March 2006, on the basis that Northern General would not be enough to serve people living in the north.)
On May 16, 2007, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan while attending the HIMSS AsiaPac 2007 conference announced that the new general hospital in Yishun has been named Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital is a 550-bed hospital located at Yishun in Singapore. The hospital was officially opened by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on 15 November 2010, but began seeing outpatients and day surgery patients on 28 March 2010. Spanning over in the Yishun Central Area overlooking the...
. The family of late Mr Khoo Teck Puat
Khoo Teck Puat
Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat a banker and hotel owner, who, with an estimated fortune of $4.3 billion, was formerly Singapore's wealthiest man. He owned the Goodwood Group of boutique hotels in London and Singapore and was the largest single shareholder of Britain's Standard Chartered Bank...
had donated S$125 million towards building and funding the hospital. The new hospital would be different from other hospitals as it promises to put patients first and aims to minimise bureaucracy and paperwork. It was initially planned for Alexandra Hospital to be closed after KTPH was opened, but the hospital will now remain in operation until Jurong General Hospital is completed by 2014 and was transferred to Jurong Health after August 2010.
Gardens
There are gardens surrounding the hospital which include 500 plant species and over 100 butterfly species in the butterfly trail. Members of nature societies have used the hospital gardens as a study ground. The gardens were upgraded in 2000 under the direction of Ms. Rosalind Tan, a senior executive at the hospital’s operations department, who was recognised for her contributions towards environmental sustainability under the inaugural EcoFriend Award, awarded by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in June, 2007.In the gardens is a commemorative plaque honouring the brave soldiers and staff who were killed while defending the hospital in 1942. Some of the dead were victims of a Japanese counteroffensive where Japanese forces overran the hospital and executed staff and patients.