$400M for a hospital ?
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Sept 5, 2005
WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THE NEW $400M YISHUN HOSPITAL
State-of-the-art, Patient-friendly, Efficient, yet soothing
Greenery, energy costs and a flexible design are key factors, companies are told at tender briefing
By Salma Khalik
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
THE planned $400 million hospital in Yishun must be a state-of-the art facility - and very patient-friendly.
It has to be efficient, yet soothing, so patients' 'heartbeats and blood pressure will drop a couple of notches' when they arrive, the nine companies vying for the hospital contract were told at a briefing last week.
The Yishun facility, which will replace Alexandra Hospital, has to be built around patients' needs and there has to be lots of greenery, Alexandra Hospital CEO Liak Teng Lit told the companies.
Mr Liak wants a 'hospital within a garden and garden within a hospital, so the sight, scent and sound of nature is pervasive'. He wants roof gardens and hanging gardens at the facility, whose site at Yishun Central is bordered by a lake on one side.
Mr Liak laid down these guidelines at the compulsory briefing for companies seeking the job of designing, building and outfitting the hospital, which is slated to open in the last quarter of 2009.
Nine companies picked up tender documents.
The hospital will be run by staff from Alexandra Hospital, which will close its doors when the Yishun facility is ready.
Mr Liak said the building must be both flexible and adaptable, and incorporate the use of wireless technology, automation and robotics.
A hospital is used for 40 to 50 years, but with rapid changes in medical technology, as well as changes in disease patterns, the design will need to change many times during that period, he said.
So the hospital must be designed for quick and cheap changes to its layout when needed. For example, it will start with 450 beds, but this may need to be increased to 550 beds. But the additional beds should not be tucked away in a separate corner.
One way to implement quick changes is to use raised flooring to house cables and pipes so no hacking is needed when these have to be re-routed.
Instead of designing individual rooms with fixed walls for clinics, administration and wards, he suggested a vast open area that can be partitioned for various uses.
Mr Liak said energy-saving was of prime importance. He wants the new hospital to be 50 per cent more energy efficient than existing hospitals.
He suggested natural ventilation where possible, with high ceilings, window overhangs to cut down harsh sunlight, and windows that could remain open even during rain. He also welcomed the use of solar and wind power.
The hospital in the north was first mooted during the general election in 2001 by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, MP for Nee Soon East, who said residents there needed such facilities.
Since then, it has been a case of on again, off again, as health ministers and priorities change.
Then, last month, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament that the hospital would be ready by 2009.
He was answering queries from opposition MP Low Thia Khiang on how he plans to ease the current congestion at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which closes its emergency department when its resources are stretched.
Prof Ho told The Straits Times he was 'happy that the Northern General Hospital (NGH) project is moving'. -
wats the point of having greenry and state of the art facilities when patients cannot afford the treatment ? a public hospital shd stick to the basics and keep costs low.
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make patients from other parts of the island go all the way to yishun? MOH think very fun to travel issit..
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in sg really cannot fall sick
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guhmen better stop having illusions
abt being d best here, best ther..
cmon..lets have practical answers
to every family's concerns..
enuff we r like sq hospitals..
let's hv a low cost one.. no frills -
well, u can always send an email to Mr Khaw to express your concerns... i don't think MOH will do anything if we juz complain in this forum.
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its frm our money anyway. so the govt happy happy use this amt of money lor. somemore they haf high pay leh...then treat singaporeans like wad f@rk. then tt SARS period tt donation money go where liao leh...
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so you guys agree to stalinist styled hospitals at 1/5 the cost? we can name our hospitals Hospital No.1 eg.
don't whine for the sake of whining please -
Everyone donate thinking it will help the SARs patients... actually govt had enough funds for all these things but did not even pay a single cent but instead always use the funds to help our neighbours... and now the SARs donation suddenly disappear into some big pocket... never to see light again...Originally posted by jay_rocks:its frm our money anyway. so the govt happy happy use this amt of money lor. somemore they haf high pay leh...then treat singaporeans like wad f@rk. then tt SARS period tt donation money go where liao leh...
With medical bills so high now... really its very important simply not to even fall sick...
Seriously I rather die than fall sick. -
hMz.....i doubt the patients will have the priviledges to go to use all the facilities, such as sky garden.....think more for the employees there to use bah....
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Maybe it is for the VIP who visit or being warded at thereOriginally posted by dcx:hMz.....i doubt the patients will have the priviledges to go to use all the facilities, such as sky garden.....think more for the employees there to use bah.... But I am sure that the facilities in the hospital will be use fully by all the ordinary patients being treated or warded at there. Or else all those thing will rot if no one use it and will be a waste of our taxpayer's money and the government one too. -
Buildings are a reflection of the country's economic status and standards of Living.
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the ventilation part is quite ok tho
more fresh air is good for patients -
next time vote my party (tinkiwinki party) for a place in the goverment, i give welfare to all of u
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Originally posted by usck:next time vote my party (tinkiwinki party) for a place in the goverment, i give welfare to all of u
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Originally posted by usck:next time vote my party (tinkiwinki party) for a place in the goverment, i give welfare to all of u
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Raise 2 hand up to agree.Originally posted by crazy monkey:wats the point of having greenry and state of the art facilities when patients cannot afford the treatment ? a public hospital shd stick to the basics and keep costs low.
Travel mean good.... MRT, SBS, COMFORT,etc can earn $$$ mah.... all belong to goverment one wat.Originally posted by vito_corleone:make patients from other parts of the island go all the way to yishun? MOH think very fun to travel issit.. -
fark you. you know how expensive it is to stay in hospital ? and medisave dun cover everything must still come up wif cash. wats the point of having sky gardens, pipe music and expensive carpeting ? the job of the hospital is to provide medical treatment it is not a hotel. the rich can go to raffles or gleneagles if they want the frills.Originally posted by runningismylife:so you guys agree to stalinist styled hospitals at 1/5 the cost? we can name our hospitals Hospital No.1 eg.
don't whine for the sake of whining please -
Comes the issue of healthcare cost...
Well, we can go back to basics, and later ppl say should go higher... No end to this
Time to revamp the MediShield scheme