New Bukit Panjang polyclinic to help ease strain

A new polyclinic will be built in Bukit Panjang as part of the Health Ministry's efforts to make primary care more accessible.

The new facility will help relieve the strain on other nearby polyclinics, such as the one in Choa Chu Kang, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday.

The ministry had earlier announced plans to build six new polyclinics - to add to the existing 18 - by 2020.

The six include the Bukit Panjang polyclinic and two others in Jurong West and Punggol announced earlier. Mr Gan added that the existing Yishun and Marine Parade polyclinics are also undergoing re-development.

Elaborating, Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min said the Yishun polyclinic will move to a new location at the junction of Yishun Central and Yishun Avenue 9 by 2018. It will also be expanded.

Meanwhile, the Marine Parade polyclinic will be expanded from one to two storeys by next year. Dr Lam said: "These expansions will allow us to meet expected demand even as the population in the estate grows and ages."

He said construction of the new Jurong West and Punggol polyclinics will start later this year.

Dr Lam also announced a new primary care centre in Sembawang, which will treat a range of patients similar to those seen by regular polyclinics. But it will likely adopt a different model of care.

"It will be a test-bed for the introduction of new care models, innovative ideas and care processes," he said. The centre will be developed by the Alexandra Health System, which also manages institutions such as Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

This article was first published on March 13, 2015.
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