To commemorate SingHealth's 20-year anniversary in 2020, we have compiled a list of milestones within the SingHealth family. Click on the drop-down items below to view our major accomplishments in each year.
The KK Gynaecological Cancer Centre in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) is the sole collaborator from Asia in a vaccine trial for human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer. This trial would later result in the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine in 2006.
The old Kandang Kerbau Hospital, birthplace of over 1.2 million Singaporeans, is gazetted a historic site by the National Heritage Board in recognition of the hospital's contribution to the provision of obstetrical and gynaecological care in Singapore since 1858.
The KK Alumni was established to encourage networking among former and present KKH staff. This is to generate ideas and initiatives in the areas of continuing medical education, training, technology and outreach to the community.
KKH performs the first open heart microsurgery on premature infants in South‐east Asia.
KKH opens the KK Hospital Simulation Centre to enhance its medical training capabilities.
KKH and Temasek Foundation launch the ‘Stay Prepared – Trauma Network for Children’, Singapore’s first network to bring psychosocial support and care for children affected by trauma.
KKH leads in the development of Singapore’s first national clinical guidelines for the management of neonatal jaundice with the aim of providing a unified and standardised treatment approach to enhance the quality of care for newborn babies.
KKH established Singapore’s only one‐stop paediatric orthotic centre dedicated to providing a full range of orthotic services for children with lower limb and spine conditions requiring assistive devices.
KKH, SHP and Temasek Foundation launch Singapore’s first Integrated Maternal and Child Wellness Hub to support the health and well-being of mothers and young children in the community.
NCCS establishes the Department of Psychosocial Oncology to offer assistance to patients and their loved ones who are dealing with the practical, emotional and psychological demands of the cancer journey.
NCCS' Division of Radiation Oncology introduces Singapore’s first Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment.
NCCS plays a key role in the national crisis management of SARS. Prof Soo Khee Chee, Director of NCCS, receives the Public Administration Medal (Gold) at National Day Awards in recognition of his contributions to the nation.
NCCS pioneers Photodynamic Diagnosis and Treatment (PDT), a new technique that uses florescence diagnosis and drug-induced light therapy to diagnose and treat cancer.
NCCS signs a landmark agreement with eight national cancer centres, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to embark on cancer prevention advocacy, cancer research, training and collaboration.
NCCS signs the Goyang Declaration in Seoul to push for a Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) in Asia.
NDCS and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) jointly launch Dental Assisting and Dental Technology training programmes.
In partnership with Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)'s Diploma in Dental Hygiene & Therapy, the Oral Health Therapist training programme is launched.
NDCS receives the Excellent Service Award (EXSA), a national award for outstanding patient services.
NDCS is the first dental specialty centre in Southeast Asia to achieve the JCI international accreditation.
NDCS establishes the Electronic Dental Records (EDR) system for better patient care and coordination in clinics
NDCS signs an MOU with NTU in a million-dollar dentistry research partnership to translate bioengineering innovations into dental applications.
NDCS launches the Geriatric Special Care Dentistry Clinic. It is an age-friendly clinic to serve the needs of the elderly who are functionally dependent with geriatric conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The clinic also serves special needs patients and those with pre-existing medical conditions requiring dental clearance before or after medical treatment or surgery.
NDCS signs an MOU with NUS' Faculty of Dentistry to deliver the Master of Dental Surgery residency training programmes in Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontology, Prosthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry.
The National Dental Research Institute Singapore (NDRIS) is established by NDCS and SingHealth Duke-NUS AMC.
The ground breaking ceremony for the Elective Care Centre (ECC) and NDCS building is held. The new building will feature new facilities in elective surgical and dental care to meet growing healthcare needs.
NHCS establishes Singapore's first heart failure programme.
NHCS successfully performs Singapore's first local inter-hospital transfer of a patient on an Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO).
NHCS establishes Singapore's first National Cardiovascular Homograft Bank (NCHB) to create a safe, reliable and affordable local supply of cryopreserved heart valves and tracheal homografts in Singapore.
NHCS performs the first successful transapical transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation in Asia.
The NHCS research team is first in the world to reverse the effects of a gene mutation in Type 2 Long QT Syndrome in patient-specific heart cells.
NHCS and SKH collaborate to set up NHCS Cardiology @ SKH, providing cardiac services and expertise at its outpatient clinic and dedicated wards for residents in the north-east.
NNI sets up a Neuroscience Research Laboratory at NNI @ Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
NNI integrates neuroscience services with SGH.
NNI receives Southeast Asia's first three Telsa MRI scanners, which allow for more detailed scans.
NNI joins the SingHealth family.
NNI sets up the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Centre.
NNI launches the Community Care Partners Programme – Singapore’s first PD outreach programme.
NNI and TTSH establish the 1st combined NNI-TTSH Spine Service.
NNI celebrates its 10th Anniversary.
NNI introduces tele-services for timely assessment of stroke patients.
NNI sets up the first Advanced Practice Nurse Neuroscience Clinic to reduce first-visit wait time to see a specialist for PD.
NNI and SHP launch the NNI-SHP Cognitive Assessment and Rehabilitation (CARe) clinic for early screening and diagnosis of dementia in the community.
NNI launches the NNI-Alzheimer’s Disease Association Esteem Programme for young onset dementia patients.
SNEC holds its first annual National Eye Care Day with eye screening.
Phase 2 of SNEC’s extension project is completed with the construction of a $50 million, eight-storey building comprising two floors of outpatient clinics, five operating theatres, and two floors of SERI’s research clinics and laboratories, among other facilities.
SNEC receives the Excellence for Singapore Award for clinical and research breakthroughs such as conjunctival stem cell transplantation.
Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and NDCS jointly perform the first Osteo-Odonto Keratoprosthesis (OOKP) “Tooth-in-Eye” surgery in Southeast Asia to restore sight.
SNEC doctors become the first in the world to establish a strong link between a blinding fungal infection and a contact lens solution, leading to a worldwide recall of the product and halting the epidemic. The team receive the inaugural Minister for Health Award in recognition of this discovery.
SNEC, together with Moorfields Eye Hospital (UK) and Rotterdam Eye Hospital (the Netherlands), jointly found the World Association of Eye Hospitals.
SERI is awarded a $25 million translational clinical research flagship grant for the Translational Research Innovations in Ocular Surgery (TRIOS) programme, a five-year programme focusing on two major causes of global blindness: corneal disease and glaucoma.
Professors Donald Tan, Roger Beuerman and Aung Tin from SNEC and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) are the pioneer recipients of the inaugural President’s Science Award for their innovative breakthroughs in ‘bench-to-bedside’ medical research in blinding corneal diseases and glaucoma, leading to major advancements in scientific knowledge and the treatment of these diseases.
SNEC introduces its first-in-Asia Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) advanced technique for corneal transplantation, which makes it possible for patients to attain 100% vision within a few weeks of surgery.
SNEC starts a dedicated Myopia Clinic to provide atropine treatment to children aged 6 to 12.
SNEC celebrates 25 years of service to the nation.
SNEC launches the Mobile Eye Bus, which offers eye screening services to those who are unable to go to clinics.
The Lee Foundation makes a gift of $2.5 million to SNEC to establish the Myopia Centre of Excellence (MyCE). The Centre will focus on three key areas: finding new ways to prevent and control myopia progression in children, understanding the complications myopia can pose over time in children and adults and raising the awareness of myopia as well as its management through proper public education.
SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) is set up to manage Bright Vision Hospital (BVH), Sengkang Community Hospital (SKCH) and Outram Community Hospital (OCH), allowing for the cross sharing of best practices and strengthening of collaborations.
SHP sets up its Family Physician Clinic to better manage patients with multiple and complex chronic conditions and ensure continuity of care.
SHP starts its Education & Research department to advance clinical education and research.
The Nurse Clinician Service (NCS) is introduced in the Outram and Pasir Ris Polyclinics, as part of the SHP’s plan to reorganise care provision for chronic diseases. The service is later expanded to the rest of the clinics in 2009, allowing nurses to have an expanded role in co-managing patient care with the doctors. Patients see the trained NCS nurses between their medical reviews with their doctors.
Physiotherapy services are first implemented at Tampines Polyclinic in 2013. The service is subsequently expanded to Geylang Polyclinic in 2014, Bedok and Punggol Polyclinics in 2017, and Bukit Merah Polyclinic in 2018.
SHP launches PILBOX, a service that allows caregivers to collect prescription refills at their convenience, without having to queue at the pharmacy.
SHP introduces a Smart Appointment Booking System for patients to manage their own appointments at SHP’s Service Selection Kiosks and electronic and mobile platforms.