SINGAPORE — When it opens in about five years, the new Outram Community Hospital (OCH) will help support Singapore’s ageing population by focusing on rehabilitation care, which includes tailoring to the needs of seniors.

Located within the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) Campus, the 19-storey OCH will have 500 of its beds in general rehabilitation and sub-acute wards, while the remaining 50 will be in palliative-care wards. Rehabilitation facilities, such as dayrooms, where patients can practise their exercises or undergo therapy sessions, will also be integrated into each ward.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital today (May 21), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said Singapore has to enhance its healthcare system to provide patient-centric and appropriate care for its ageing population. “Our seniors who visit our hospitals tend to be more frail, have multiple medical conditions and require longer care. But they take no joy in staying at hospitals ... Therefore ... patient care across acute, intermediate and long-term care (has) to (be made) more seamless and appropriate for seniors,” he said.

The community hospital, which will also have the first inpatient dialysis facility, can take in transfers from SGH’s acute care unit, but will also accept patients from across the island, said SingHealth Deputy Group chief executive officer (CEO) and SGH CEO Ang Chong Lye. “The new model of care at OCH will focus on optimising patients’ recovery to prepare them for transit back to their home.”

OCH patients will be able to benefit from the co-management of clinical care provided by SGH, the five SingHealth National Specialty Centres and its own healthcare teams. The hospital will also be actively working with community partners to integrate inpatient rehabilitation services with those in the community. For instance, OCH is partnering HCA Hospice Care, which will be providing outpatient services at the new hospital.

OCH, which will add more than 500 beds when it opens, will help mitigate the bed crunch that hospitals in Singapore have been facing in recent years. At his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate this year, Mr Gan said the Government aims to add at least 1,700 beds to acute wards by 2020 through two new general hospitals.

Next month, the new 700-bed Ng Teng Fong General Hospital will open its doors to patients.