SINGAPORE - Raffles Medical Group has opened a multi-disciplinary medical centre at the newly renovated Shaw Centre along Orchard Road.
The 17,000 square feet centre is the first private healthcare centre in Singapore to integrate services such as dental care and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with conventional medical services like family medicine, health screening and specialist consultation.
The clinics are already operational but will officially open on July 23. Patients will be able to alight at the doorstep of the centre which spans two floors and has a direct link with the carpark.
This is the first time Raffles Medical Group's TCM group - Raffles Chinese Medicine - will operate outside of its main clinic in Raffles Hospital. Dr Prem Kumar Nair, managing director for Singapore Healthcare of Raffles Medical Group, said that demand for TCM services has risen over the years with many non-Chinese patients seeking alternative medical treatments.
Dr Nair added that the centre, which cost about $4 million was more cost efficient than opening a new hospital, which would cost about $200 to $300 million to build. "We wanted to avoid unnecessary replication of services in the hospital - what we want here is specialists," he said.
In response to concerns over poor human traffic at Shaw Centre, Dr Nair said: "The healthcare business is different from retail as it is destination based and people will come because they have an appointment. We are not worried (about poor business)."
The centre will have over 30 specialists with at least one specialist from each field present at all times. Dr Nair said that the Group will prevent its specialists from being spread too thin by hiring more to cope with patient loads. The centre can handle around 500 patients a day.
There will also be a shuttle bus service to Raffles Hospital to ferry patients who require more intensive treatment there.
