Hospital and Medical Tourism in Singapore

Singapore is the next big mantra in the ever-evolving landscape of the global medical tourism industry. Singapore is no longer just the leisure or business destination that it used to be until a few decades ago. With a population of around 5 million, a strong workforce of skilled doctors, and some of the best state-of-the-art hospitals in Asia, Singapore is fast establishing itself as a global hub for medical tourism. Approximately 250,000 foreign patients visit Singapore each year and hospitals aim to multiply the numbers. The plan is to serve more than 2 million international patients annually and generate USD 5 billion in revenue.

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as the service of providing cost-effective private healthcare packages in collaboration with the tourism industry for international patients requiring surgery and other forms of specialized intervention. Usually, this type of medical care is not available in the patient’s home country or is too expensive. Singapore’s healthcare services are based on world-class quality, hygiene, safety and reliability. This is combined with advanced research facilities and international accreditation. The medical sector receives sustained support from government agencies and this helps make Singapore one of the leading medical centers in Asia. Over the past few years, eleven hospitals and medical centers in Singapore have achieved Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. Many of them are also ISO-9001-2000 certified.

Patients visiting Singapore come mainly from neighboring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and Burma. However, in the last decade, the number of patients from India, China, the Middle East and Africa has seen rapid growth. Many patients from developed countries like the United States and Europe have chosen Singapore as their preferred medical travel destination for its relatively affordable quality and uncomplicated healthcare services in a clean and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Singapore has made headlines for many complex and innovative procedures, such as the separation of a pair of conjoined twins and an “eye surgery” case a few years ago. The successful separation of 10-month-old Nepalese conjoined twins in 2001 put Singapore’s medical acumen on the front pages of the world’s newspapers. Since then, Singapore has achieved many more milestones both in Asia and on the world stage.

In the year 2006, many hospitals in Singapore started the accreditation process through the Joint Commission International (JCI), an organization based in the USA. This could be one of the reasons why in 2006 JCI thought that it would be prudent to establish its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. Soon, hospitals in Singapore may start looking towards other US, European or Asian hospital accreditation systems in an attempt to enhance their brand value.

Some of the major hospitals based in Singapore are as follows:-

1) Changi General Hospital:

This healthcare provider is one of the largest hospitals in Singapore. Its current infrastructure in Simei was established in the year 1998. It was formed as a result of the merger of two well-known hospital brands, Toa Payoh Hospital and Changi Hospital. Therefore, the hospital can trace its roots back to the year 1957, when the Thomson Road Hospital had begun its construction.

2) Alejandra Hospital:

This operation founded in the year 1938, this hospital served as one of the main hospitals of the British Empire in the Far East and was known as the British Military Hospital. After World War II ended and even into the early 1970s, Alexandra remained one of the most modern and well-maintained hospitals in Singapore.

3) National University Hospital:

NUH is a hospital in Singapore located in the vicinity of the National University of Singapore Medical School at Kent Ridge. In addition to being a professional teaching hospital for the university, it also acts as a well-equipped research center. This hospital specializes in Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Ophthalmology among other specialties.

4) eMenders from Singapore:

eMenders is a Singapore-based group of physicians, physicians and surgeons representing over 25 different branches of medicine and dentistry.

5) National Cancer Center of Singapore:

The National Cancer Center of Singapore (NCCS) is a regional and national center focused on the prevention, management and treatment of different types of cancer, including skin, lung, breast, stomach, uterine, liver, pancreas, lymphomas and head and neck cancers.

6) Raffle Hospital:

Raffles Hospital is a leading medical group and one of the largest private practice groups in Singapore operating a network of more than 78 multidisciplinary clinics across Singapore. Raffles Hospital is JCI accredited.