23 February 2001

In a month's time, the private healthcare scene will see the entry of Raffles Hospital, the first major private hospital to make its debut in Singapore in the last ten years.

Raffles Medical Group's flagship 380-bed tertiary hospital will house state-of-the-art medical systems and facilities, and provide a comprehensive range of specialist medical services.

"We have taken a patient-centred approach in creating Raffles Hospital," said Raffles Medical Group Executive Chairman Dr Loo Choon Yong. "We are a group practice where doctors, specialists and supporting healthcare professionals pool their knowledge, skills and expertise to meet the medical needs of our patients."

The group practice model is unique to Raffles Hospital and provides the platform for quality programmes for service excellence. This system allows for peer and professional review as well as continuing research and development. On this basis Raffles Hospital will establish itself to be also a centre for medical training and research.

"And to support our people in providing accurate and timely diagnoses, and appropriate treatment and care, Raffles Hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology and systems," Dr Loo added.

Raffles Medical Group today held a signing ceremony with GE Medical Systems to install two cutting edge diagnostic imaging systems in Raffles Hospital - a LightSpeed multi-slice Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner and a wide-open high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) System.

"Almost every clinical specialty in Raffles Hospital will require the use of these top-of-the-range imaging systems," said Dr Loo. "I am pleased to equip our diagnostic radiology department with GE's medical systems as they share our philosophy in their patient-centred approach in the design, research and development of their products."

The multi-slice CT scanner purchased for Raffles Hospital provides high resolution three-dimensional X-ray images of body tissue at a fraction of the speed of conventional CT scanners. For instance, a body scan that used to take three minutes can be completed in 20 seconds with this machine.

The wide-open MRI system minimises the sense of claustrophobia caused by enclosed tunnels, and will help reduce patient anxiety and discomfort.

During the media briefing, Raffles Hospital General Manager Mr Lawrence Lim revealed that first specialist clinics to open would be the Women's Centre, Children's Centre, Internal Medicine, General Surgery and Orthopaedics.

In the next few months, Raffles Cancer Centre and Raffles Heart Centre will be launched as centres of excellence. In keeping with the aim of developing Raffles Hospital into a leading healthcare and medical training centre in the region, Raffles Medical Group entered into an affiliation agreement in 1999 with New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre to provide world class cancer treatment and services at Raffles Hospital.

For clarification, please contact:

Ng Siao Sze (Ms)
Corporate Communications Manager
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