Opening of Woodlands Health lifts some load off other hospitals

Patients from TTSH, KTPH also get to see specialists or move into a ward earlier

- Salma Khalik

The opening of the Woodlands Health (WH) campus has been a boon to Madam Sundrampillai Indrani, 69, who suffers from severe back pain. She was given a polyclinic referral to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) in February, but the earliest available appointment date was five months later.

Meanwhile, her back pain got worse. In April, WH, which comprises a hospital, community hospital and medical centre, got in touch to ask if she would like to see one of its doctors instead. She could do so in early June, shaving more than a month off her TTSH wait.

“It felt like a blessing, not just because it was nearer to where I live, but more importantly, because the pain was getting worse and I couldn’t even stand,” she said. She has since seen a doctor and gone for two physiotherapy sessions, and can now walk with less pain.

Madam Indrani is among more than 1,300 patients who had appointments to see specialists at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) or TTSH but have moved to WH.

Mr Joe Sim, group chief executive officer of National Healthcare Group (NHG), which runs all three hospitals, said: “We noted in May that some patients who initially had to wait for a specialist outpatient clinic (SOC) appointment in two months were able to get their SOC appointment in WH within two weeks.”

Woodlands Health, which was officially opened by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on July 13, has helped to ease the load of not only outpatient clinics – but also KTPH’s emergency department (ED). Between May 2 and June 15, about 350 patients were transferred from the latter to WH.