SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Monday (Feb 20) launched the country’s first regional health hub to provide “one-stop healthcare” to soldiers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
The first of six regional health hubs to be established across Singapore, the Kranji Regional Health Hub (KRHH) at Kranji Camp III will serve soldiers in the SAF camps in the north-western region of the country.
It will support Kranji Camps I, II, III, Mandai Hill Camp, the SAF Detention Barracks, and Stagmont Camp.
“Through the regionalisation of healthcare, the SAF seeks to bring enhanced and specialised healthcare closer to service personnel,” said MINDEF.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How officiated the launch on Monday, accompanied by Chief of Army Major-General David Neo as well as senior officers from the SAF and the Defence Science and Technology Agency.
Mr Heng said establishing the regional health hub marks a critical milestone in the SAF’s medical transformation journey towards delivering “robust and holistic healthcare” conveniently located in one location.
“Health has always been very central to the SAF… The KRHH brings together the latest in technology, key processes and management processes, so as to tap into the efficiency of arrangements and at the same time, to leverage technology with the aim of bringing more convenience to the service personnel.”
SPECIALISED HEALTHCARE
In addition to routine primary healthcare and emergency services, the two-storey KRHH will be equipped with enhanced medical, dental, specialist and diagnostic capabilities, said MINDEF.
Compared with existing camp medical centres, the new regional health hub will have an increased patient capacity of 10 consultation rooms. There will also be two resuscitation bays, two treatment rooms and a body cooling unit.
The specialist health services include dental services and satellite psychiatry services. It will also provide x-ray scans, blood investigations, electrocardiography and audiometry.
Telehealth services will be provided to camps in the region, including teleconsultation and telepsychiatric services.
The new regional health hub will also serve as a test bed to pilot new features. These new initiatives, developed with ST Logistics, include the Medical Dispensary System and MEDBOX.