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Gallery traces evolution of polyclinics in S'pore
Among displays are tools used by medical staff in primary care facilities after WWII
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ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CHONG PHUI-NAH, National Healthcare Group Polyclinic chief executive officer.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Melody Zaccheus
After World War II, countries in the region were saddled with a huge problem - the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox, cholera, diphtheria and polio.
In Singapore, dispensaries and maternal and child health clinics were rolled out to offer primary care to rural areas and deliver vaccinations. For instance, in 1959, a mass smallpox vaccination exercise succeeded in covering 1.1 million people here.
