SINGAPORE - Clementi Polyclinic, which is one of the oldest and smallest polyclinics in Singapore, will move to a standalone site in Commonwealth Avenue West by 2027, about a five-minute walk from Clementi MRT station.

The new building will be larger than its current premises in Clementi Avenue 3, and offer a wider range of medical services, including those catered to seniors.

Having its own space will also allow the polyclinic to better control the flow of patients, which is especially important in pandemic situations, said Dr Anandan Gerard Thiagarajah, head of Clementi Polyclinic.

At present, the polyclinic operates on the second floor of a building near Clementi MRT Station, where it has to rent space from other occupants to accommodate its growing needs.

“We find that going forward, we can’t keep doing that,” Dr Anandan said. “So it’s probably best to have our own building, where we have control over the ins and outs.”

The new site is about 650m from the building where the polyclinic is currently located.

Clementi Polyclinic was opened in 1980, when the population in the area was smaller and younger.

It occupies about 1,700 sq m and currently sees an average of 950 to 1,000 patients daily. 

“This is definitely one of the smaller-sized polyclinics in terms of floor area, but in terms of the number of patients seen, it is considered medium-sized,” said Dr Anandan.

Crane operator Mohammed Shahid Roslan, who was at the polyclinic with his family on Wednesday (June 1), said the current site is too small.

“It’s better if they have their own building because there will be more space. It’s quite cramped here and it’s very busy,” the 35-year-old added.

Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health Janil Puthucheary revealed the location of the revamped polyclinic on Wednesday during a tour of the current premises.

He also announced that the brand new polyclinic in Taman Jurong will be located in Corporation Drive.

It will be built on the site of the former West Point Hospital, a private medical facility that closed in 2018. The polyclinic is slated to open in 2028.

"The redevelopment of our polyclinics is important," Dr Janil said.

"You have to make sure that the primary care is accessible and that we provide the full range of services in the community to as many residents as possible."

The Ministry of Health is aggressively ramping up the network of polyclinics in Singapore. By 2030, the country will have 32 polyclinics, up from 23 now.