New veterinary hospital officially opens in Whitley Road to cater to complex conditions

The hospital provides treatment for more complex conditions, emergency and critical care, surgery and imaging service. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The prep room (right) and an operating theatre at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital Singapore. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The ICU at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital Singapore. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The 24-hospital is located in Whitley Road. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

SINGAPORE - The Veterinary Emergency and Specialty (VES) Hospital Singapore officially opened its second pet healthcare facility on Thursday.

Located in Whitley Road, this 24-hour hospital provides treatment for more complex conditions, emergency and critical care, surgery and imaging services such as X-rays, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The MRI machines have also been upgraded, now with higher resolution and are similar to the ones used on humans.

VES, a licensed veterinary hospital in Singapore, is diversifying the range of services available, the company said in a joint release with veterinary care provider Mars Veterinary Health (MVH) group.

VES became part of MVH in 2020. This partnership allows VES to tap on MVH's global network of over 2,500 veterinary hospitals and facilities in more than 20 countries.

The hospital said it currently has 23 vets, including specialists, and is looking to grow this number by at least 30 per cent in 2023.

The 12,000 sq ft hospital - equivalent to about 12 four-room HDB flats - will also be able to handle more cases. It has a maximum capacity of 80 animals, up from 36 at its previous location in Rochdale Road.

Currently, the new facility sees an average of about 25 cases a day - referrals and walk in.

Dr Sebastien Monier, co-founder of VES, said: "VES is one of the first pet hospitals in Singapore to have industry-recognised, board-certified specialists in a variety of specialist areas... In 2023, we expect to host the largest number of specialists - a total of 12 - in Singapore.

"This will make VES one of the few pet hospitals in South-east Asia to have specialist departments in surgery, neurology, anaesthesiology, emergency & critical care, dermatology and internal medicine."

Its Rochdale Road facility is now serving as a day clinic.

It also hopes to use the new facility to transform the veterinary industry in Singapore by supporting professionals and students.

(Clockwise from top left) An operating theatre, the ICU for cats, the MRI room and CT scan room at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital Singapore. ST PHOTOS: KEVIN LIM

As part of MVH's collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic since 2021, final-year students of the three-year diploma in veterinary technology course can join a four-month internship programme that allows them to gain hands-on experience at VES.

This programme also taps into the knowledge and best practices from MVH's extensive veterinary network, as part of the effort to strengthen the veterinary industry in Singapore.

This article has been updated for clarity.

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