Brief profiles of some Singapore hospitals

In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked Singapore sixth in the world in terms of providing the best health care (number one was France while Japan was number 10). That placed the country's health system as the best in Asia.

More than 150,000 international patients come to Singapore every year, with Indonesians being the largest market.

Here are brief profiles of hospitals in Singapore, which provide international patient services.

Parkway Group Healthcare International Medical Referral Center (MRC)

Parkway Group Healthcare claims to be the largest healthcare group in Asia. It owns three leading private hospitals in Singapore (East Shore Hospital, Gleaneagles Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital), and has seven hospitals in India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Its strengths are in the leading technology, infrastructure and sources, which enable the group to serve medication for complex cases or severe and disseminated cancer, and liver transplants.

The group is the only one in Asia that has the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan other than Hong Kong. The PET, which is able to produce powerful images of the human body's biological functions, has been found useful in different types of cancer, coronary artery disease and certain brain diseases.

The group also has a center of pelvic care to cure pelvic floor disorder, symptoms of which include pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen, bloating, inability to control urination or bowel movements or pain during sexual intercourse.

Parkway Group Healthcare 302 Orchard Road, #16-01/02/03 Tong Building Singapore 238862 24-hour hotline: (65) 67355000 Fax: (65) 67326733 Email: mrc@parkway.com.sg

Raffles International Patients Center

Though the Raffles Hospital was not established until 2001, the Raffles Medical Group has been operating in Singapore since 1976 and in Hong Kong since 1996.

Looking more like an office complex than a hospital, with its zen-ish design, it is equipped with various specialty centers, such as the Raffles Cancer Center, the Raffles Women's Center, the Raffles Health Screeners Center, the Raffles Japanese Center and the Raffles Aesthetic Center.

The hospital comprises 120 specialists, including neurosurgeon Keith Goh Yu-Ching, whose team has succeeded in separating conjoined Nepalese twins connected at the head in 2001. Goh and his team are now working to separate conjoined Iranian twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani.

Raffles Hospital 585 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188770 24-hour hotline: (65) 63111666 Fax: (65) 63112333 Email: enquiries@raffleshospital.com

National Healthcare Group International Patient Liaison Center

Incorporated in 2000, the National Healthcare Group (NHG) manages a cluster of four hospitals: Alexandra Hospital, National University Hospital (NUH), Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Institute of Mental Health/Woodbridge Hospital.

It also manages Johns Hopkins-NUH International Medical Center, two national specialty centers (the National Neuroscience Institute and National Skin Center), nine polyclinics, and three specialty institutes (The Eye Institute, The Cancer Institute and The Heart Institute).

The group is offering the entire range of specialties, such as cardiology, pediatric medicine and surgery, orthopedic surgery and ophthalmology.

National University Hospital 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074 24-hour hotline: (65) 67792777 Fax: (65) 67778065 Email: iplc@nuh.com.sg

Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) International Medical Service (IMS)

SingHealth manages Singapore General Hospital (SGH), the country's largest acute care tertiary hospital with more than 300 specialists.

The hospital is the main teaching hospital for postgraduate and advanced training of specialist doctors in Singapore. It is also a major training ground for nurses and paramedic staff from other training and medical institutions in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region.

SGH offers 14 specialist outpatient clinics and supporting services such as diagnostic radiology, rehabilitation and dietetic services.

The hospital also owns the first urology center in Asia, famous for kidney transplants and robotic operation (the second country in Asia to have robotic surgery after Japan).

Singapore General Hospital Block 6, Level 1, Outram Road, Singapore 169608 Tel: (65) 63265656 Fax: (65) 63265900 Email: ims@sgh.com.sg

-- Hera Diani