KK Women's and Children's Hospital (abbreviation: KKH) is the largest public hospital specialising in healthcare for women and children in Singapore, located at 100 Bukit Timah Road.[2]
| KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-kanak KK (Malay) 竹脚妇幼医院 (Chinese) கே கே பெண்கள் மற்றும் குழந்தைகள் மருத்துவமனை (Tamil) | |
|---|---|
| SingHealth | |
.svg) | |
 Street view of KK Women's and Children's Hospital | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899 |
| Coordinates | 1°18′38.0″N 103°50′49.0″E / 1.310556°N 103.846944°E |
| Organisation | |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Type | Specialist |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes |
| Beds | 830[1] |
| Speciality | Women's and children's hospital |
| Public transit access | Little India |
| History | |
| Opened | 1858 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
From its humble beginnings as a small general hospital in 1858 to a 30-bed maternity hospital in 1924,[2] KKH has grown into an 830-bed hospital providing obstetric and gynecology, neonatology, and pediatric services.
Often referred to as "KK" amongst locals,[3] it is the birthplace of a sizeable proportion of Singaporeans, delivering over half of total newborns in the country as early as 1938.
History
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The hospital's name comes from the Malay term for "buffalo shed" (kandang = shed / pen + kerbau = buffalo), reflecting the area's past link with buffalo rearing.[3]
While the hospital initially started as one catering to health care for women, mainly for gynecology and obstetrics, it has since expanded its role.[citation needed]
First, the pediatrics department was added for the care of the babies after delivery, but over the years it expanded into a full pediatric service, treating younger patients for all kinds of illnesses up to teenagers. An offshoot, the neonatology service, was then added. Thus the expanded role of the hospital warranted a renaming to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.[citation needed]
On 1 October 1924, KKH was converted to a maternity hospital with 30 beds.[3] It was also used to train students in midwifery and medicine.[3]
During World War II, KKH became an emergency general hospital for the population when Japan attacked Singapore.[3] During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the hospital was called Chuo Byoin or Central Hospital.[3]
In 1966, the hospital entered the Guinness Book of Records for delivering the highest number of newborns within a single maternity facility for that year, and it continued to hold on to this record for a full decade,[2] delivering 85% of the population.[4]
In March 1997, the hospital moved to its present site.[4]
As a result of a restructuring exercise in the local healthcare scene, the hospital became a member of the Singapore Health Services on 1 April 2000.[4]
In 2003, the old premises were marked as a historical site by the National Heritage Board,[2] a tribute to an institution that has been the birthplace of over 1.2 million Singaporeans since its inception.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Overview". KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala (11 December 2002). "Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH)". National Library Board Singapore. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Auto, Hermes (17 October 2016). "From treating sex workers to maternity hospital: History of KKH | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Hospital Milestones". KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
External links
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