Singapore (29 June 2016) – SingHealth and West China Hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will see Singapore’s largest  public healthcare group provide training for nursing professionals at West China Hospital. The programme is supported by a grant of about S$546,000 from Temasek Foundation.

The three-year training programme conducted at West China Hospital is expected to benefit more than 1,400 nursing professionals from the Sichuan province.

West China Hospital is part of the West China Medical Center of Sichuan University, one of the leading medical centres in the country. The Hospital has 4,800 beds staffed by over 7,800 healthcare professionals across 38 clinical departments.

Under the learning and exchange programme, some 600 nursing leaders and nurses from Sichuan province will undergo nursing skills training in clinical specialties such as orthopaedic, neurology, emergency medicine, cardiology and obstetrics & gynaecology. Conducted by nurse educators and trainers from the SingHealth Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing, the training will also cover topics such as healthcare management, patient safety, infection control and medication management.

During the course of the training, 88 participants (60 nursing leaders and 28 clinical nurses) will be selected to be trained as specialist master trainers and receive a further two-week training and clinical attachment at SingHealth healthcare institutions in Singapore. These specialist master trainers will then go on to train 880 more nurses in China to multiply the benefits of the training.

Professor Ivy Ng, Group Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth: “SingHealth is privileged to partner West China Hospital to share expertise and knowledge in nursing management, education and evidence-based clinical practice. Nurses are a critical part of our healthcare systems and this mutually beneficial collaboration enables both our healthcare organisations to nurture strong and sustainable pipelines of skilled nursing professionals to serve our respective countries.”

Mr Goh Geok Khim, Chairman, Temasek Foundation: “This programme provides good opportunities to further the strong networks among nursing professionals from Singapore and China for the exchange of knowledge and skills. Even after the initial training has concluded, the nursing staff from both institutions can continue to consult and work together in providing quality nursing care for our communities in the long run.”

This is the first collaboration between West China Hospital, SingHealth and Temasek Foundation. Training for the first batch of nursing leaders and specialists will commence in June 2016.