NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (Expansion plans)

Mr Loh Meng See asked the Minister for Health whether there are plans to expand the National University Hospital and, if so, whether he will include Class C wards in the plans.

The Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Sir, implementation of the National University Hospital (NUH) Phase III expansion project has started. It will introduce 112 C Class beds to the current bed complement, as well as expand Class A and B1 facilities by 50 and 48 beds respectively.

Phase III will involve the construction of a new Tower block with a podium as well as conversion work in the existing buildings. When completed, NUH will have a total of 991 beds, compared to the current 702. The heavily subsidised B2 and C beds will form 60% of the bed complement.

In addition to the new wards, Phase III will also house a new Day Surgery Complex with 28 beds and five operating theatres. Specialist Outpatient Clinics for Eye, ENT and surgical disciplines together with three specialised service centres, namely, oncology, endoscopy and renal medicine, will also be located in the building.

The project is expected to be completed by 1997 at an estimated cost of $130 million.

Mr Loh Meng See (Kampong Glam GRC): Sir, will there be any increase in the number of beds in the intensive care wards in the expanded hospital? Or will the number be the same?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: The number of ICU beds in NUH will increase by 15 with the expansion.