Changi General Hospital was built to serve the healthcare needs of the community living east of the Kallang Basin. It was an amalgamation of the Toa Payoh Hospital and the Changi Hospital. Although it was officially opened on 28 March 1998, it already has a rich heritage and culture derived from its predecessor, Toa Payoh Hospital.

The history of Changi General Hospital is therefore the story of Toa Payoh Hospital.

The hospital began humbly in 1959 as Thomson Road Hospital. It opened its doors with a single ward, situated on the top of a hill in a swampy and sparsely populated area. It was designated as a hospital for the chronic sick and for the people in surrounding communities.

From the perseverance and determination of its doctors, administrators, nurses and staff, this "swateng" hospital has now become an 801-bed general hospital. Never lamenting what we did not have, we treasured what we did have, and built on it. Through this spirit of determination to overcome the odds, the Hospital grew to become a general hospital with various clinical specialties. Everyone strived to provide quality care and service to all patients who turned to the hospital for help.

1960s

With the growing demand for medical services, the government decided to build a new hospital for the chronic sick at Thomson Road. This initiative took shape when a foundation stone was laid for the hospital in June 1957. It was estimated to cost $4.5m and was set up to accommodate any spillover patients from the Sepoy Lines General Hospital (later renamed Outram Road General Hospital and then Singapore General Hospital).

The hospital was named Thomson Road Hospital, after the nearest main road. By 20 May 1959, it formally opened with only 2 doctors, 7 nursing staff and 1 commissioned ward.

The initial years were a struggle as the spartan hospital had limited funds and equipment. However the staff were undaunted. A team of dedicated doctors lead by Professor Seah Cheng Siang, our first medical superintendent built the reputation of the hospital as a medical institution providing quality care. He assembled an excellent team of doctors, including Dr Andrew Chew. Very soon, the quality of medical care became well respected in Singapore and referrals were brisk. The hospital went on to build an excellent reputation for postgraduate training. Well-known physicians practicing in Singapore and overseas, like Professor Lim Pin, Dr F J Jayaratnam, and many others received their postgraduate clinical training in the hospital.

Clinical research was also undertaken and 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. Prof Seah and Dr Chua also pioneered the first flexible gastroscopy procedure in the country. Nursing training was also formalised when the School of Nursing for Pupil Assistant Nurse was officially opened within Thomson Road Hospital in September 1965.

In the 1960s, the patient load gradually increased and new facilities such as a surgical block and an X-ray department were added. The surgical and X-ray departments were set up with the former headed by Dr Choo Jim Eng. 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 the Thomson Road General Hospital. This was an acknowledgement of our efforts to become a reputable medical institution.

1970s

The Hospital continued to grow as we introduced new clinical specialties to the public, which included neonatology and orthopaedic surgery. The Department of Anaesthesia was also formally established in 1971. It was headed by Dr V Sivagnanaratnam, who later pioneered the thoraic epidural band block technique for postpartum sterilisation. More distinguished doctors also joined our ranks to serve our patients better. This included Prof Lee Yong Kiat, who was appointed the hospital's Chief of Medicine in 1971.

During this decade, our doctors continued to be involved in many interesting researches including lactose intolerance, gastro-intestinal bleeding and peptic ulcer.

To identify with the newly built satellite town that we service, we were renamed Toa Payoh Hospital. For the next 21 years, this was the name that we are known. In the 1970s, our X-ray and A&E departments also moved into 24 hours service. Physically, the hospital also improved its bed arrangements, providing for greater privacy and comfort. We were the first hospital to introduce B2 class wards, which was a pilot project of the government medical service. The Hospital was no longer a backward medical institution, and the renovations and new clinical specialties reflected this transformation.

1980s

The 1980s were characterised by rapid growth and expansion. Prof. Lee Yong Kiat, was instrumental in developing the hospital's medical services. The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department underwent a face-lift as air conditioning was installed and two operating theatres were refurbished. The department was also fully computerised to facilitate registration and retrieval of information. In 1985, the hospital also began concentrating on two key specialisations - Urology and Gastroenterology.

In this decade, the hospital was working to cope with the increasing population in the surrounding New Towns, that include Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Serangoon and Bishan. It was operating at full capacity, and the administrators were soon looking for suitable grounds to build a bigger and better hospital. Many sites were considered including the land adjacent to the hospital. After much deliberation, it was decided that the health needs of the growing eastern community would be best met by the hospital. The hospital then moved to a new site in Simei, in close proximity to three major expressways and 400m from the MRT station.

1990s

This was a significant era for the hospital. We restructured on 1 April 1990. With corporatisation, a new Toa Payoh Hospital logo was unveiled along with our mission statement and corporate philosophy. We also embarked on new programmes to improve our service and care. To encourage our staff to achieve a high standard of quality care, the hospital developed a unique Quality Statement, which simply states, "To provide a level of patient care and services good enough for our own mothers without the need for special arrangements."

More medical services were provided with the introduction of the ENT department in 1994 and the Eye department in 1996. The ENT department was set up by Dr Amar Kaur. She and her team worked hard and within a year, the department became the second busiest in the country.

Through the efforts we have made to improve our service and care, our patient load increased to maximum capacity in mid-1990s. This increase often left the Hospital with no choice but to transfer the patients to other hospitals due to a shortage of beds. Indeed, it is interesting to note that we had once started as a Hospital receiving overflow patients from other institutions.

Finally, on 15 February 1997, Toa Payoh Hospital was closed, as staff and patients moved to the new 801-bed hospital in Simei. The new Hospital was opened on schedule and within budget. In line with the government's master plan on healthcare, we were designated to be the regional hospital for 750,000 Singaporeans living east of the Kallang Basin. Serving the eastern community, we were renamed Changi General Hospital. The hospital was officially opened by the Deputy Prime Minister BG(NS) Lee Hsien Loong on 28 March 1998.

As we move, we continue to maintain the essence of our spirit, succinctly encapsulated by a saying in the hospital, "We should each plant a tree in our lifetime even if we may not have a chance to sit under it." We made a symbolic gesture by transferring some bamboo plants that have come to represent our "soul". This bamboo plant was first planted by a nurse, Madam Tan Joo Lan, when she first joined us in 1962.

Gardening has become a way of life for the hospital with many of its staff actively participating in gardening sessions to beautify the old and then the new hospital grounds. Besides building esprit de corps among the staff, it is a symbol of our spirit to build a legacy for the future, to become the "other Shangri-La". In caring for our environment, we became the first hospital to be certified ISO 14001 in 1998 and was awarded the Singapore Environmental Achievement Award in 1999.

PRESENT

Changi General Hospital introduced more clinical specialities including neurosurgery, Sports Medicine, Dermatology, Rheumatology and outpatient O&G services to meet the growing healthcare needs of the community.

The hospital continues to utilise information technology (IT) to provide better, cheaper and faster service to our patients. Launched on 17 July 2001, our online pharmacy, www.mypharmacy.com.sg makes the purchase of homecare products and retail medical supplies easier with its around the clock accessibility. Free home delivery is provided for purchases above $100 so customers do not need to make a special trip down to the hospital.

The one-for-all health-screening package at CGH was revamped in 2001, through the introduction of 4 health screening packages to meet the specified needs of men and women of different age groups. Opened on 14 January 2002, a new and larger Diabetes Centre offers four new consultation rooms, more patient privacy and greater convenience due to the relocation of all diabetes-related services under this one roof. This enables CGH to provide a one-stop comprehensive service for diabetic patients in a more comfortable setting.

The Changi Sports Medicine Centre (CSMC) was opened in 12 September 2003. Two years later on 11 November 2005, it was expanded with a new Medical Wing. The CSMC is Singapore’s biggest integrated sports medicine centre within a hospital. It provides a multi-disciplinary sports medicine services under one roof to athletes and active individuals. Equipped with modern diagnostic technology, the centre is able to provide our patients with quality sports rehabilitation and performance enhancement programmes.

In 2005, CGH achieved a milestone as our quality of care was benchmarked against international standards. We received our JCI accreditation on 11 June 2005. During the accreditation, CGH was commended particularly for our clinical pathways.

The hospital also addresses the needs of elderly and the less well off through the introduction of HOPE (Holistic and Professional Eldercare Initiative) in August 2001, HomeCare Assist in July 2002 and CHAMPS in September 2005. HOPE aims to build a professional "eldercare ecosystem" by enhancing community facilities for the elderly and training volunteer carers to serve as health care ambassadors. HomeCare Assist is a charity fund to help needy ill or bedridden patients when they are discharged from the hospital. The hospital's team of social workers, therapists, nurses and doctors evaluate the needs of these patients and provide them with a basket of help according to their circumstances. CHAMPS is a volunteer training programme targeted to help the elderly with their healthcare needs.