To meet the growing demand for medical services, the government decided to build a new hospital for the chronic sick at Thomson
Road. The foundation stone of the Thomson Road Hospital was laid down in June, 1957. The hospital was set up to accommodate spill over patients from the Sepoy Lines General Hospital and was formally opened on 20 May 1959 with only two doctors, seven nursing staff and one commissioned ward.
The hospital also went on to build an excellent reputation for postgraduate training. Well-known physicians practicing in Singapore and overseas received their postgraduate clinical training at the hospital. Nursing training was also formalised when the School of Nursing for Pupil Assistant Nurses officially opened within Thomson Road Hospital in September, 1965.
Clinical research was also undertaken during our initial years. Professor Seah, together with Dr Chua Kit Leng and Dr Jayaratnam, were the first to discover the presence of tropical sprue in Singapore and to fully document this research. Professor Seah and Dr Chua also pioneered the first flexible gastroscopy procedure in Singapore.
In the 1960s, the patient load gradually increased and new facilities such as a surgical block and an X-ray department were added. We also started offering neurosurgery in 1965 and obstetrics and gynaecology in 1969. As the hospital took on more responsibilities, its role as an acute hospital offering a wide-range of medical services was recognised in 1968 when it was renamed as the Thomson Road General Hospital.
One of the buildings of Thomson Road Hospital.