Latest news with #SengkangGeneralHospital
Business Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
A startup, a scale-up and a hospital bag top accolades at maiden Design AI and Tech Awards
[SINGAPORE] Home-grown semiconductor optics startup MetaOptics Technologies, local autonomous cleaning robot firm LionsBot and Sengkang General Hospital clinched top honours at the inaugural Design AI and Tech Awards (Daita) on Monday (May 19). Jointly organised by The Business Times (BT) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the competition aims to spur innovators from startups and companies to harness design and technology to develop groundbreaking solutions that tackle real-life business challenges. Daita was launched in October 2024 with multi-asset investment firm Granite Asia as a supporting partner. MetaOptics swept the judges with its advanced colour metalens imaging system that features a single-glass layer alternative to traditional multi-layer curved plastic lenses. Its deputy chief executive officer Aloysius Chua said in his presentation: 'The challenge today with traditional three-dimensional optics is the bulkiness, complexity and high costs.' He explained that metalenses, also known as flat optics or 2D lenses, are single layers of glass made up of millions of circular pillars of varying diameters – each as thin as one-thousandth of a human hair – at the same height.
Malay Mail
17-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Singapore hospitals face longer emergency wait times as Covid-19 cases rise post-holiday
SINGAPORE, May 17 — Several hospitals in Singapore are experiencing longer waiting times at their emergency departments (EDs) this week due to a post-public holiday surge in demand, according to The Straits Times (ST). In response to media queries, Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday that acute hospitals often see higher attendance at their EDs during specific times of the year, with the current rise consistent with the usual post-holiday trend, ST reported. Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) confirmed the increase in separate Facebook posts on May 14, attributing it to the post-holiday period. The Ministry assured that triage procedures remain in place to prioritise patients with critical conditions, ensuring urgent cases receive prompt attention. MOH added that inpatient teams have been activated to start treatment for patients awaiting admission at the ED to prevent delays in care. In some cases, patients may be transferred to other hospitals for further treatment. According to ST, hospitals also cited a rise in Covid-19 cases as contributing to the congestion. Between April 27 and May 3, Singapore recorded 14,200 Covid-19 cases, up from 11,100 the previous week. CGH highlighted that some seniors admitted for other medical conditions were later found to be Covid-19 positive. SKH noted that while the increase aligns with typical post-holiday trends, most cases were unrelated to Covid-19. The National University Health System (NUHS), which oversees several hospitals, told ST that the current surge is consistent with past post-holiday periods. It also said there were no unusual patterns of illnesses. To address the high patient load, hospitals are triaging patients based on acuity and priority, with senior emergency physicians reviewing cases to ensure appropriate admissions. NUHS has redeployed and increased its manpower to support ED operations, according to ST. MOH and hospitals have urged the public to visit the ED only for serious or life-threatening emergencies. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms, such as a cough or sore throat, are encouraged to seek care from general practitioners or polyclinics instead. The ministry also noted the availability of the Mobile Inpatient Care at Home (MIC@Home) programme, where teams of medical professionals provide care at patients' homes via teleconsultations and home visits. Medically stable patients may also be transferred to community hospitals or transitional care facilities to alleviate bed shortages, ST reported. In Malaysia on May 1, the government officially revoked the declaration that classified all states and federal territories as infected local areas — a move marking the country's shift away from emergency pandemic measures — more than five years after it was put in place. However, Covid-19 has not been entirely eradicated, data in Malaysia showed a slight uptick in active cases, rising from 8,488 on April 30 to 8,609 by May 3. For comparison, during a similar period last year — May 12 to 18, 2024 — Malaysia recorded 1,230 Covid-19 infections. Experts attributed this year's rise to waning immunity, increased travel, and reduced testing, but say the situation in Malaysia remains under control and is not a cause for alarm.
CNA
16-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
Longer emergency wait times at hospitals 'consistent' with post-public holiday surge: MOH
SINGAPORE: The current increase in wait times at some hospitals' emergency departments is consistent with a post-public holiday surge, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (May 16). This comes after some public hospitals said on Wednesday that they were seeing a high volume of patients at their emergency departments. In Facebook posts, Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) advised their patients to expect longer wait times due to the current patient volume. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) also told CNA on Wednesday that it had seen increased patient volume at its emergency department since Tuesday. Monday was a public holiday in Singapore due to Vesak Day. A KTPH spokesperson attributed the higher numbers mainly to the recent long weekend, while SKH told CNA on Friday that the increased patient volume it faced in the past week was "consistent with the post-public holiday surge". Both hospitals said the rise in patients was not driven by COVID-19. In response to CNA's queries, MOH said acute hospitals can experience higher attendances at their emergency departments during certain times of the year. "Notwithstanding the higher attendances at the ED, hospitals will continue to promptly triage patients, to quickly identify those with severe medical conditions and ensure they are attended to urgently and patient care is not compromised." It added that inpatient teams will be activated to start treatment on patients waiting for admission into the emergency department to ensure no delay in care rendered. Patients may also be transferred or diverted to other hospitals, said MOH. "To manage bed occupancy, hospitals may admit suitable patients to Mobile Inpatient Care at Home (MIC@Home), and transfer medically stable patients to community hospitals, transitional care facilities and other community facilities or services." Echoing similar advice provided by the affected hospitals previously, the health ministry urged patients to seek care at general practitioner clinics or polyclinics for non-urgent conditions.
CNA
15-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
Longer wait times at emergency departments of CGH, KTPH and SKH due to high number of patients
SINGAPORE: A number of public hospitals in Singapore on Wednesday (May 14) advised patients to expect longer-than-usual waiting times at their emergency departments due to a high number of patients. Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) advised those with non-urgent conditions to seek treatment at general practitioner (GP) clinics. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) also told CNA that it has seen increased patient volume at its emergency department since Tuesday. A spokesperson attributed the higher numbers mainly to the recent long weekend, adding that the increase is "not primarily due to COVID-19". The hospital's emergency department "remains fully operational and the situation is under control", the spokesperson added. SKH said in a Facebook post that priority will be given based on the severity of one's condition. "For non-urgent, non-critical conditions, please seek medical attention at your GP, polyclinic or a Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC). They can provide care and assist you if your condition requires an emergency visit to the hospital," it added. CGH posted similar advice on its Facebook page. "Help us save time and save lives by allowing our medical professionals to focus on critical, urgent emergencies," it said, adding that those with mild to moderate symptoms such as cough, sore throat or runny nose should visit a GP or PHPCs. Tan Tock Seng Hospital said on its website that the hospital does experience longer-than-usual wait times at its emergency department. CNA has asked the Ministry of Health (MOH) for more information about wait times and the reasons for the higher number of patients. On Tuesday, the MOH and Communicable Diseases Agency said they were monitoring a rise in COVID-19 cases. The estimated number of COVID-19 cases rose to 14,200 in the week of Apr 27 to May 3, up from 11,100 cases in the previous week. The authorities said Singapore's hospitals are currently able to manage the increase in cases.
Malay Mail
15-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Why Singaporeans are waiting hours at A&E — and what hospitals want you to do instead
SINGAPORE, May 15 — Several hospitals here including Changi General Hospital (CGH), Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), have been seeing unusually high volumes of patients at their emergency departments (EDs), causing long waiting times. CGH and SKH advised the public via Facebook yesterday to visit their EDs only for serious or life-threatening conditions, and to consult general practitioners or polyclinics for minor symptoms such as cough, sore throat or runny nose, The Straits Times reported. KTPH, which began seeing a spike in ED cases after the recent long weekend, said the rise was not mainly due to Covid-19, despite a small increase in infections. Health authorities said on May 13 that while there has been a rise in Covid-19 cases, current variants do not appear more transmissible or severe than earlier strains. At 5.30pm on May 14, KTPH's website listed a wait time of 107 minutes with 135 patients in queue, dropping to 71 minutes and 124 patients by 6.30pm. KTPH said its emergency department remains fully operational and under control, and that patients with critical conditions will still be seen immediately. The Straits Times reported that during its visit to CGH yesterday, a notice outside the A&E department warned of waits lasting at least five to eight hours due to the surge in patients.
