SINGAPORE - A new rehabilitation complex is being built next to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), with special facilities designed to help people get back on their feet.

The groundbreaking ceremony of TTSH's Integrated Care Hub - which is slated to open in 2022 - was carried out on Tuesday morning. The complex will have 500 beds with a fifth of them being used by Dover Park Hospice to care for those who are terminally ill. The rest of the space will be used to provide sub-acute care and rehabilitation.

The hub is the rehabilitative pillar of the 17-hectare HealthCity Novena development, which also encompasses the upcoming National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Lee Kong Chian medical school's campus.

"The Integrated Care Hub will provide the crucial link between the acute hospital and community care," said Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor, who was at the groundbreaking ceremony.

She added that TTSH will be shifting its existing rehabilitation services - including those currently located offsite in Ang Mo Kio - into the new centre when it is ready.

As part of its focus on rehabilitation, the new hub will have mock-ups of environments such as bus stops or homes to help people practise living independently.

On Tuesday, there was also a topping out ceremony for the new National Centre for Infectious Diseases and Ng Teng Fong Centre for Healthcare Innovation, both of which will be open in phases starting from next year.