Come 2020, patients will be able to receive a better rehabilitation experience with the new Outram Community Hospital (OCH).
Come 2020, patients will be able to receive a better rehabilitation experience with the new Outram Community Hospital (OCH).
The groundbreaking ceremony for the newest community hospital, officiated by Minister of Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong, was held on 21 May.
“The new model of care at the community hospital will focus on optimising patients’ recovery to prepare them to transit back to their home.”
Located within the SGH campus, the upcoming facility will add another 550 beds to the healthcare system and play a key role in supporting the needs of the ageing population. Its strategic position will also allow for an easier transition for patients transferring from one care setting to another.
Prof Ang Chong Lye, the Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer of SingHealth and Chief Executive Officer of SGH, discusses the vision of OCH: “The new model of care at the community hospital will focus on optimising patients’ recovery to prepare them to transit back to their home.”
“With this end in mind, the rehabilitation process starts early, while patients are still receiving their inpatient medical treatment so that they can get a head start in the healing process.”
Every part of the community hospital is designed with the patients’ rehabilitation in mind.
From wards with integrated dayrooms for patients to practise their exercises, to a daily living centre where patients can practise day-to-day activities such as cooking with their therapists, these are just some of the many features that OCH has set to provide.
The community hospital will also be designed to create an elderly friendly environment where elderly patients can move around with ease.
Apart from the structural considerations of the facility, OCH intends to offer further support to discharged patients by working with community partners. One such partner is HCA Hospice Care, who will be providing outpatient services.
By developing a network of community partners, OCH hopes to ensure that patients will continue to receive proper medical care even after they leave the hospital.
