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NEW CHANGI HOSPITAL’S FIRST SCIENTIFIC MEETING

New Changi Hospital ran its first Scientific Meeting on 4 July 1997. Dr Aline Wong, Senior Minister of State for Health & Education was the guest-of-honour. We report on the Opening Ceremony of the Internal College of Surgeons – New Changi Hospital’s First Scientific Meeting.

The first regional hospital in eastern part of Singapore 
Dr Aline Wong gave a succinct description of the hospital and its connections. “New Changi Hospital is the first regional hospital built by the Government to provide medical care to the community in the eastern part of Singapore. When fully operational, it will be a 800-bed hospital with emergency service and a wide range of specialist services. Of particular interest is the provision of geriatric medicine, psychological medicine and rehabilitation medicine. In addition, the hospital will also link up with Kandang Kerbau Women’s and Children’s Hospital to provide basic antenatal care and paediatric services. Other clinical services will be added if necessary”.

Improved Integration of Healthcare 
“A community hospital will be built next to NCH. This project will be undertaken by a VWO, the St Andrew’s Mission Hospital. This is the first time that a community hospital will be located next to an acute care hospital. We believe that this synergy will be good for both NCH and the Community Hospital. The Community Hospital can share various support facilities already available in NCH such as laboratory and X-ray, and enjoy economies of scale by joining its purchases with NCH when appropriate. It can quickly refer medical emergencies to NCH. In turn, NCH can refer its patients requiring longer term rehabilitation and convalescence to the Community Hospital. To the public and to patients, the 2 hospitals can be almost like one entity, with seamless transfer of care. Together with the existing linkages of NCH with the polyclinics, GP clinics and even nursing homes located in the eastern part of Singapore, patients staying in the east will enjoy this improved integration of primary care, secondary care, continuing and longterm residential care”.

Development in Practice of Surgery 
Dr Aline Wong also touched on the practice of modern surgery She said, “The way surgery is performed has changed tremendously with advances in technology. Today you are faced with the increasing challenge to achieve the aims of conventional surgeries within given resources and with minimal disruption to the patient’s life.

The development of minimally invasive surgery and the promotion of day surgery are all pointing towards a new era in the practice of surgery. The introduction of “non-blade” approach to perform tasks which were only possible through open surgery in the past has also prompted many thoughts to redefine what is “surgery”. One of these examples in Singapore was the introduction of Gamma Knife, which is a technology used by neurosurgeons, therapeutic radiologists, etc.” She observed that “The conventional demarcation between surgeons and non-surgeons is becoming less obvious. Today many non-surgeons, by conventional definition, are also practising “surgery”. Physicians, or internists, are taking up many procedures that used to be under the domain of surgeons, such as performing endoscopic examinations and biopsies.

As such, the entire medical profession will have to keep pace with the development of technology and medical sciences. The profession and relevant authorities will have to scrutinise carefully the training of individual doctors and accredit them accordingly. The accreditation will also have to keep pace with the changes in the practice of medicine”.

The Specialist Register 
Finally Dr Wong also touched on the changes to be made in the Medical Registration Act. “In Singapore, we will be introducing several changes in our Medical Registration Act. One of these changes will be the introduction of a Specialist Register. Doctors will have to register according to established training requirements. The profession will provide input in defining the current structure of medical practice. Proper checking and auditing mechanisms will be established and carried out to ensure that our patients receive the best quality of care, as well as to ensure that they are in the good hands of those who possess the necessary skills and knowledge”.