Changi General Hospital in second place as "AsianHospital of the Year 1998"
Service with a smile . . . and the world smiles with you

A genuine smile and an attitude geared towards quality health care has enabled Changi General Hospital to win second place in AsianHospital's "AsianHospital of the Year 1998". In first place is Japan's leading, Kameda Medical Centre which is managed by the Kameda family with a medical history of more than 300 years dating back to the early Edo period.

When asked by AsianHospital about what drives Changi General Hospital, chief executive officer, Mr. Liak Teng Lit responded, "Firstly, there are a number of us in the hospital who believe in the saying `one generation plants the trees, the next generation enjoys the shade' ." The management and staff of the hospital believe that every person exists temporarily when measured against the typical life of an institution which is a 100 years or more.

In AsianHospital's 4th quarter issue 1998, it included a feature article which best describes the award winning story of Changi General Hospital. The article says, "Upon entering Changi General Hospital, a visitor senses there is something different about this hospital. It is a sense that there is a deliberate effort to make you feel welcome, even happy, to be inside a hospital. From the smiles on people's faces to the careful signage which keep you from getting lost in the maze of corridors."

Hospital staff aim to provide a high level of service and care, good enough for their own mothers.

During this period of our stewardship, we hope that the hospital will become a little stronger and a lot better. Secondly, many of us believe that healthcare is at a strategic inflection point. Socio economic factors coupled with technological advancement are going to change the way healthcare is provided. The hospital would rather change before it is forced to change. Thirdly, it is always less stressful and more enjoyable to have things running smoothly and face happy patients. Good quality costs less and requires less effort.

On a personal note, Mr. John Longbotham, publisher of AsianHospital and one of the judges of this annual award, first became acquainted with Changi General Hospital when he walked into the hospital for a visit when he was around the area. He felt that the atmosphere at the hospital was conducive for patients to recuperate, as it was peaceful and tranquil. One of his observations, however, was that the spirit of customer service is directed at the visitor because they are important and that is a nice feeling. Says Mr. Longbotham, "If anything signals a commitment in the Asian healthcare industry to keep step in these complicated and invigorating times, it will be the vision of Changi General Hospital to not just survive, but thrive in the years ahead. Depicting both the energy of the business and the technology which are shaping health care, combining the vision and creativity that have always typified the abounding ambition of Asia."

AsianHospital, the publication which awarded Changi General Hospital the second place as AsianHospital of the Year 1998, is Asia's oldest and best read hospital magazine. It has a circulation of 30,000 hospital professionals in more than 20 Asian countries.