Recognised for its contribution to Singapore’s medical tourism through the provision of good medical services, technology and support services for patients, ParkwayHealth clinched the Best Healthcare Experience Award 2010 organised by the Singapore Tourism Board.

 

One of the leading providers of private healthcare services in Asia, ParkwayHealth has an impressive network of hospitals and integrated healthcare facilities – 16 hospitals in Asia, altogether housing 3,400 beds and 1,200 accredited specialists covering more than 40 multi-disciplinary specialities. In Singapore, the private healthcare group operates three hospitals and several medical centres including Gleneagles Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Parkway East Hospital that are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI).

Upon walking through the doors of any ParkwayHealth hospital or medical centre, patients soon discover that at ParkwayHealth, it’s not just about medicine – it’s about service; it’s about tender loving care; it’s about people. Thus, the hardware of its medical technologies is complemented by heartware – the total patient experience that every individual who is admitted to one of its medical facilities can expect.   The caring doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are passionate about their roles, leaving patients with an experience of feeling truly cared for, and peace of mind knowing that they have placed their trust in the hands of a quality medical service provider.   Indeed, ParkwayHealth transforms the common conceptions surrounding medical treatment with a

service that matches the luxurious hospitality sector. From access to specialist care to being pampered in a private room akin to a luxury hotel, ParkwayHealth’s quality service extends to providing deluxe private-room accommodation, gourmet cuisine, luxurious hotel-grade amenities, as well as concierge and business services.

A cosmopolitan city, Singapore attracts about 650,000 international patients every year. They are drawn to the country due to the fact that Singapore is stable, peaceful and safe while its world-class healthcare system is at the forefront of medical technology. And ParkwayHealth is known to treat about 55 percent of the total number of international patients to Singapore.

 

The healthcare group caters to these foreign patients through its 40 ParkwayHealth Patient Assistance Centres (PPAC) located throughout the world in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.   The Centres provide a seamless, one-stop 24-hour service to patients, connecting them to a comprehensive choice of medical services and doctors across ParkwayHealth’s hospitals through a dedicated 24-Hour Helpline. The dedicated team of PPAC staff is available to discuss medical conditions and treatment options with patients, provide cost estimates, and arrange all tests and consultations with ParkwayHealth’s specialists in Singapore.   For foreign patients who are admitting directly to ParkwayHealth’s hospitals upon arrival in Singapore, they and their families are met by the

airport’s Guest Relations Officers at the aerobridge upon arrival at Singapore Changi Airport. They will be driven by electric buggy and escorted to the immigration counters whilst the airport personnel retrieve their baggage. They are then chauffeured to the hospital in a limousine.

 

Other convenient services include accommodation arrangements, assistance before, during and after hospitalisation, direct admission arrangements, evacuation and repatriation, visa renewals, multilanguage translation and interpreter services, and even sightseeing arrangements!

Come 2012, ParkwayHealth will launch two new facilities in Singapore: Parkway Novena Hospital and Parkway Novena Specialist Centre. The new hospital and specialist centre will feature 333 patient beds and more than 200 physician suites catering primarily to specialists in the fields of neurology, heart and vascular, orthopaedics and general surgery, as well as those in other clinical disciplines and medical services.

Located in one of Singapore’s prime residential areas and near the Orchard Road shopping district, Gleneagles Hospital provides a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and imaging services within various clinical disciplines. The 272-bed hospital houses two speciality centres: Parkway Cancer Centre and Parkway Eye Centre. The former offers comprehensive cancer treatment with a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team to meet the specific needs of cancer patients. Parkway Eye Centre offers an extensive range of specialised eye care services ranging from LASIK, cornea transplant, cataract and implant services to treatment of general eye diseases. Obstetrics & gynaecology is another dedicated area of speciality here.

Situated in the heart of Orchard Road, Mount Elizabeth Hospital features one of the largest concentrations of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, neurologists and neurosurgeons in Asia. As such, it is a one-stop hub for these and other medical and surgical services, backed by medical technology and new sectors of expertise such as nuclear medicine and minimal access surgery. The 345-bed hospital features more than 35 multi-disciplinary specialities including cardiac surgery, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, oncology, orthopaedic surgery, as well as paediatric medicine and surgery.

 

Located just 15 minutes away from Singapore Changi Airport, the recently upgraded Parkway East Hospital (formerly known as East Shore Hospital) caters to residents living in the eastern areas of Singapore. The 118-bed boutique hospital now features a new VIP Suite, upgraded rooms, more retail outlets as well as an expanded range of specialist clinics. A general acute care hospital, Parkway East Hospital is highly regarded for its clinical expertise in obstetrics & gynaecology, general surgery, orthopaedics, ear, nose & throat (ENT) and ophthalmology.

 

ParkwayHealth offers clinical programmes that are tailored for patients to experience holistic and comprehensive care under a team of specialists. With more than 1,200 accredited specialists covering over 40 multidisciplinary specialties, patients can expect quality care, and be assured of its integrated facilities and expertise which are grounded in good clinical practice.

Over the years, ParkwayHealth has developed an effective and efficient strategy towards its Heart & Vascular Programme by housing one of Asia’s largest concentrations of cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons under one roof. As a result, ParkwayHealth is able to handle complex diseases of a related nature. The suite of services include preventive care, screening, advanced diagnostic tests, invasive and non-invasive procedures, post-operative management, cardiac rehabilitation and a full range of surgical programmes. As one of the leaders in medical technology, ParkwayHealth was amongst the first in Singapore to pioneer practices in cardiomyoplasty, stem cell transplant thorascopic atrial fibrillation surgery and robotic surgery. Its cardiothoracic surgeons were also some of the pioneers to conduct minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass graft and off pump coronary artery bypass graft.

As the nature of common musculoskeletal injuries and disorders like sport injuries, joint replacement and spinal problems is complex, it takes a multi-disciplinary team of specialists to effectively diagnose and treat the problem. ParkwayHealth’s approach is to have an all-rounded group of professionals – orthopaedic surgeons, nurses, physiologists and occupational therapists – to provide quality care in this area. The healthcare group adopts minimally invasive techniques that reduce trauma and scarring, yet can improve the rate of success. This includes computer ‘navigated’ surgery that enables greater precision, which is especially paramount when dealing with internal organs that are harder to access.   In April 2010, Winter Olympic speed skater lvan Skobrev arrived in Singapore, after a fellow Russian friend living here recommended orthopaedic specialists Dr Eddie Chang and Dr Chang Haw Chong at Gleneagles Hospital. For years, Ivan had endured chronic pain in his left shoulder and tried everything from physical therapy to steroid injections, to no avail. The uncle and

nephew team of specialists soon diagnosed Ivan with a torn rotator cuff, which is a common condition for athletes. All it took was an arthroscopic surgical procedure to repair the damaged tendon and end his pain.

 

“It’s pretty amazing what the surgery had done – one and a half hours and my shoulder was fixed! I had a great hospital experience here. I loved it. The doctors and nurses were so compassionate, nice and attentive,” shares Ivan.

Each year, hundreds of patients entrust their recuperation journey to ParkwayHealth after suffering from a stroke, brain trauma, epilepsy, sleep disorders, or neck and spine conditions. This is due to ParkwayHealth’s strong, professional team of specialists in neurology, stroke neurology, neurosurgery, radiology and trauma amongst others. The company also provides a range of Neuro-Rehabilitation Therapy services that are tailored for patients who choose to recover in the comfort of their own homes.

Recognising the emotional, physical and psychological strains that cancer has on patients, ParkwayHealth set up a centre of excellence - the Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) - that is dedicated to treating the disease. Qualified oncologists lead a medical team of nurses and counsellors to provide a holistic care environment for patients. This is supported by a multi-disciplinary team specialising in medical, surgical, radiation, haematological and paediatric oncology, as well as palliative and para-medical professionals so that each patient gets the very best treatment possible. PCC also offers counselling, education, and psychosocial and emotional support to those stricken by the disease through CANHOPE, a cancer counselling support service.

To successfully arrive at the right diagnosis and perform the right type of surgery for the patient’s needs, a multi-disciplinary team of specialists is involved in each surgery. This includes gastroenterologists, nephrologists, and allied health and laboratory staff amongst others. ParkwayHealth’s surgical teams are trained in specific sub-specialisations, covering eye, ear, nose, head, neck, gastrointestinal surgery and urology. ParkwayHealth is also the first private medical provider in Southeast Asia to use the da Vinci Surgical System, an ‘intuitive’ robotic laparoscopic system that integrates robotic advancements and computerenhanced technology with the surgeon’s skills. Patients are thus assured of greater surgical precision with better clinical outcomes.

Human organ transplants save lives and with continuous evolvement in research and pharmacology, patients are able to enjoy better and longer quality of lives following transplants. Bolstered by over 18 years of experience in living donor kidney transplant, ParkwayHealth’s Transplant & Cellular Therapy Programme also specialises in haematopoietic stem cell and liver transplants. In 2002, ParkwayHealth made history as the first private hospital in Southeast Asia to perform Living Donor Liver Transplant. It has since established itself as the first fully integrated private centre for liver transplant and treatment in Southeast Asia.

The Women & Children Programme at ParkwayHealth is centred on a patient and family care philosophy to ensure that mothers and newborns receive high quality, compassionate care from its specialists and dedicated nurses. The Programme offers a spectrum of services ranging from antenatal and postnatal care to preventive, diagnostic and treatment needs for premature or ill babies. There are also obstetrical services to help women manage high risk pregnancies. For specialised maternal and neonatal care, Intensive Care Units in the hospitals provide adult emergency care while the Neonatal Intensive Care Units care for infants with complex problems.

 

 

Mr and Mrs Tran Van Ngu were devastated when they were told that their newborns’ chances of survival were less than 10 percent. The twins were diagnosed with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) upon being born nine weeks premature in Vietnam. Fortunately, through the help of another doctor, they learnt of a similar case that had been flown to Singapore and successfully treated two years before. After much research and deliberations, they decided to seek medical treatment at Parkway East Hospital. The hospital made special arrangements for the twins to be flown to Singapore and after numerous tests, they were diagnosed with Apnoea of Prematurity, in which the babies’ breathing can pause for up to 20 seconds or more. The twins were warded in the Neonatology Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for about three months and put on oral caffeine as a respiratory stimulant while special nutrition containing vitamins and iron supplements were prescribed.

 

“We are very impressed by the professionalism of the doctors and nurses at Parkway East Hospital. Dr Cheng Tai Kin provided peace of mind in our times of need – besides patiently explaining their conditions and providing comfort during the three-month period, he also shared with us the estimated bill size and length of their stay in the hospital. The nurses were very friendly and helpful. We were lucky, too, to have a good interpreter who was constantly around to communicate our needs to the doctor and nurses,” shares a grateful Mr Tran Van Ngu.

 

With such a dedicated team of professionals backed by medical technology, patients can rest assured that they will be well cared for every step of their journey with ParkwayHealth.