Jurong Polyclinic to move to bigger site nearby

SINGAPORE: Jurong Polyclinic will move 150m from its current location in Jurong East to a new, bigger site, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Tuesday (Apr 30).

The polyclinic, which was built in 1988 and upgraded in 2007, will move to where student hostel yo:HA@Jurong is currently located, MOH said. The site is expected to be double the polyclinic's current size. 

READ: Two new polyclinics to start operations in Serangoon and Tengah by 2025

READ: MOH to build up to 8 new polyclinics by 2030

The new polyclinic is expected to be ready by 2025; the existing polyclinic will be in operation until then to prevent disruption to services, MOH added. 

Senior Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min, who was at the polyclinic to announce the move, said that there was feedback from residents who said that the polyclinic could get crowded at peak hours. 

"It's going to be bigger. They will have wider corridors to cater for wheelchairs and prams, so it doesn't get too crowded," he said.

He also added that patients will be attended to by "teamlets" consisting of doctors and nurses, which will provide more holistic care for patients with chronic diseases. 

The polyclinic, which is visited by an average of 1,300 patients a day, will also be co-located with a nursing home, MOH said. 

Dr Lam said that Jurong had a high number of residents aged above 65, explaining the need for a co-located nursing home. 

"By 2025, we expect (that number) to increase to almost one in four residents in Jurong above the age of 65," he said.

The new Jurong Polyclinic will be part of the 30 to 32 polyclinics MOH plans to have in Singapore by 2030.