Sengkang Community Hospital
The Sengkang General and Community Hospitals project, which was completed in 2018, is Singapore’s largest hospital development to date. It is part of the Singapore government’s 2020 Master Plan to expand the country’s healthcare capacity in anticipation of a doubling of the elderly population in the next 25 years.
The new hospitals will add around 1,400 beds to the national healthcare system by combining acute and transitional care (sub-acute and rehabilitation) in the same location. A unique service that places an advanced secondary care community hospital at the heart of a Regional Health Network, fed by local general practitioners, polyclinics, a multi-function outpatient facility, elder daycare, and nursing homes, is one of the highlights.
Patients may expect skilled Care Coordinators on site to assist them in making treatment and care decisions.
The hospital will be linked to the Cheng Lim LRT Station (one stop from Sengkang MRT/LRT Interchange) and will be located in the town center near the Sengkang MRT and Bus Interchange. The current Sengkang Polyclinic is located diagonally across from the specialty clinics section of SKGH. Sengkang Community Hospital (SKCH), a 400-bed rehabilitative and non-acute hospital next to the regular hospital, will offer longer-term palliative care. As part of integrated development, both the general and community hospitals are being developed at the same time. When completed, these new healthcare facilities will offer seamless treatment to patients and people in the northeastern neighborhood.
A HEALING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS HOLISTIC
Sengkang General and Community Hospitals were designed to integrate the various components of the integrated regional hospital project – which includes a general hospital, a community hospital, and specialized outpatient clinics – into a single, seamless, and fully comprehensive medical campus.
The design builds on several established hospital accomplishments to develop a comprehensive solution that delivers patient-centric areas in a welcoming, healing atmosphere with clear and efficient way-finding: for example, to avoid infection, patients, employees, and visitors each have their path.
The facility adds 1400 hospital beds to Singapore’s health system and is designed to be versatile, with the ability to provide acute, intermediate, and long-term treatment.
On the first floor, the ‘Community Heart,’ which includes numerous services, cafés, and retail shops, fronts the main entrance with an open courtyard and a lively pedestrian concourse with soft and hard landscaping. Extending pedestrian connectivity to neighboring regions and the LRT network will help to increase access to the ‘heart.’ Training facilities, multipurpose rooms, and a lecture theatre complement the public outdoor areas and may be utilized for public and community engagement activities.
Similarly, the ‘Wellness Garden’ on the fifth-floor roof creates a green haven in the middle of the city. For patients, visitors, and employees, the planted garden provides a welcoming and soothing environment.
The ward blocks float above the podium levels, enabling visitors outside the hospital to see the fifth-floor Wellness Garden. The long-inspired ward blocks stepped portions, and pocket courtyards allow natural light to seep into the podium’s deeper areas.
The separation of the major ward blocks from the podium reduces the project’s overall size. This allows for the creation of a strong, distinct architectural character as well as the differentiation of the key components to facilitate direction throughout the campus.
