Singapore’s Ministry of Health has outlined plans for a digitally enabled Eastern General Hospital campus, highlighting how technology, community partnerships and care models will support an ageing population ahead of the hospital’s opening from 2029.
Context: healthcare demand in an ageing society
Speaking at the Eastern General Hospital Campus Health Fest, Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How said demographic shifts are already placing pressure on Singapore’s healthcare system. More than 21% of residents are aged 65 and above, a proportion expected to rise to one in four by 2030.
“Welcome to super-aged Singapore.” — Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health
Mr Tan noted that longer life expectancy is associated with a higher prevalence of chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, increasing the complexity of care needs, particularly in mature estates in the eastern region.
Eastern General Hospital and community care
The Eastern General Hospital campus, scheduled to be ready from 2029, will complement existing services at Changi General Hospital. Mr Tan said the addition of an acute hospital and a community hospital would strengthen healthcare capacity for residents in areas such as Bedok, Marine Parade and Tampines.
Beyond acute care, the campus is expected to support a broader shift towards coordinated community-based care, including rehabilitation, long-term condition management and social support for seniors.
Partnerships supporting healthier communities
The hospital team has begun working with community partners ahead of the campus opening. Collaborations include programmes with senior activity and active ageing centres to promote health education and preventive care.
Examples cited include work with Montfort Care on health talks and activities at the Good Health Lab in Bedok Reservoir Road, and a partnership with Filos Community Services and Changi General Hospital to develop a community wellness hub in Chai Chee.
Smart hospital roadmap unveiled
At the event, the Eastern General Hospital campus unveiled its smart hospital roadmap, structured around three pillars: Smart Care, Smart Operations and Smart Infrastructure. The roadmap reflects earlier commitments to develop the hospital as a digitally enabled facility.
Smart Care
Smart Care initiatives include virtual healthcare services such as SingHealth’s Mobile Inpatient Care @ Home programme, which provides hospital-level care in patients’ homes. Tele-collaboration services also allow specialists to support polyclinics and general practitioners managing cases in the community.
The hospital is piloting telehealth support for nursing homes with Vanguard Healthcare and working with Changi General Hospital on a smartwatch that tracks patients’ pre-surgery rehabilitation exercises, enabling personalised clinical guidance.
Smart Operations
Smart Operations focus on digitalisation, robotics and automation to improve efficiency and resource use. One example is an AI-powered referral system used by SingHealth Community Hospitals to assess patient transfers from acute to community care.
The system generates case summaries and recommendations and could save more than 170 man-hours each month. Separately, a Generative AI translation tool is being piloted to support communication across different languages and dialects, with validation underway for clinical use.
Smart Infrastructure
Smart Infrastructure features are being embedded into the campus design, including flexible room layouts and real-time location systems to track equipment, staff and patients. These are intended to support faster responses to patient needs.
The campus is also working with Mandai X on nature-inspired digital features, such as therapeutic soundscapes and visual installations, aimed at enhancing the care environment.
Outlook for digital and community-centred care
Mr Tan said the smart hospital roadmap aligns with national strategies such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG, supporting a shift towards preventive, predictive and community-centred care. He described the roadmap as the start of the Eastern General Hospital campus’s longer-term digital journey.
The full speech is available on the Ministry of Health website.
