By Healthcare Facilities Today

At a recent conference, Singapore Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said healthcare facilities have to be adaptable in the long-term so as to meet changing healthcare needs, according to an article on the Channel News Asia website.

Gan was speaking at the October Healthcare Infrastructure Technology & Engineering Conference. Singapore plans to more than triple the number of hospital beds by 2020 under its Healthcare 2020 Masterplan. The government will be adding about 4,100 hospital beds by 2020, including 1,900 community hospital beds.

As healthcare facilities are ramped up, Gan said a key challenge is having continuous innovation of services and design and adaptable buildings, the article said.

Gan cited the ongoing construction of an integrated building between Changi General Hospital and St Andrews Community Hospital. The new 180-bed facility, which will be completed next year, is designed so the beds can be adapted for use as either acute or community hospital beds, depending on future requirements.

A similar concept will be rolled out at the new Sengkang General Hospital and Sengkang Community Hospital which are slated to be ready by 2018, where its "swing beds" will be used between both hospitals, the article said.

Read the article.