Site For New Hospital In Novena Area Up For Sale

Source : The Straits Times, Oct 29, 2007

THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Monday put up a hospital site at Novena Terrace/Irrawaddy Road for sale by public tender, to meet the rising demand for health care services in Singapore, which aims to become a premier healthcare hub.

On why it has picked the site, USA said in a statement that Novena is fast establishing itself as a distinctive medical cluster in Singapore with a number of leading medical institutions already located in the area.

These include theTan Tock Seng Hospital (Singapore's second largest hospital), Thomson Medical Centre and specialist centres such as the Johns Hopkins International Medical Centre, Novena Medical Centre, National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) and the National Skin Centre (NSC).

The Renci Hospital, which is due for completion in 2008, is also located within the Novena medical cluster.

Located in the heart of the Novena medical cluster, the 1.7 ha site with a maximum permissible gross floor area of about 72,350 sq m provides the opportunity for a worldclass hospital development that will enhance and complement the existing range of healthcare services within the Novena medical cluster, said URA.

In line with this, at least 35 per cent of the maximum permissible Gross Floor Area (GFA) of the proposed development must be set aside for hospital in-patient wards.

This is to meet growing demand for in-patient care facilities from domestic patients and international medical travellers, said the URA.

In addition, complementary retail uses such as gifts shops and food and beverages outlets will be subject to a maximum 5 per cent of the total GFA as the bulk of the development should be retained for hospital use.

'Singapore is one of Asia's leading medical destinations. It has experienced exponential growth in international patient volumes over the last few years with more than 410,000 visitors in 2006,' noted the URA.

'Growing at a rate of 20% per annum, Singapore expects to receive about one million international healthcare visitors by 2012.'

With continued economic growth in Singapore and neighbouring countries, it said there will be increasing demands for basic healthcare and high quality specialist care services such as cardiology, oncology, orthopedics and neurology.

The tender will close at 12 noon on Feb 15. Selection of the successful bid will be based on the tendered land price only.

More details on the site are available on URA website (http://www.ura.gov.sg)