Changi Hospital
Changi Hospital | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | 24 Halton Road, Singapore 506997, Singapore |
Coordinates | 1°23′27.7″N 103°58′50″E / 1.391028°N 103.98056°E |
Organisation | |
Type | District General |
Services | |
Emergency department | Accident & Emergency |
Beds | 790 |
History | |
Opened | 1935 |
Closed | 15 December 1997 |
Changi Hospital is a now-defunct and abandoned general hospital located in Changi, Singapore. Its closure came with the merging with the former Toa Payoh Hospital and was renamed as the Changi General Hospital, which relocated new operations to nearby Simei, not far from Changi. It began winding down activities in February 1997 (completely abandoned in December that year) and remains abandoned to this day, but is off limits to the public.
History
What is now the abandoned Changi Hospital was first built by the British government in 1935 to complement other military installations like armouries and barracks in Changi, which was then an area with a large British military base that was intended to defend the eastern end (coastal areas) of the
During the period of the
Two years later, the British Royal Air Force (RAF), based at the nearby RAF Changi airfield, set up RAF Hospital Changi in Blocks 24 and 37. In 1962, a new building was added to complement the two prewar-era blocks that made up the then-current hospital. Block 161, a large modern addition-structure, was constructed between Blocks 24 and 37 to join them together over FEAF Hill, which prior to that divided the two buildings, making access between them difficult. From 1947 until 1971, the RAF used the hospital to serve not only its service-personnel, but foreign troops from the Commonwealth, not least Australian and New Zealand troops, as well as even UN soldiers during the Korean War too (between 1950 and 1953). This arrangement continued until Singapore claimed full independence in August 1965. From that time on, the British commenced a gradual withdrawal of their military presence from Singapore, following their East of Suez policy, which called for the eventual British departure from Southeast Asia. The hospital was renamed as the ANZUK Hospital in 1971, following the large-scale exit of British troops based in Singapore before that year and served ANZUK (Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom (UK)) servicemen. The ANZUK unit was disbanded in 1975 and it was renamed the UK Military Hospital, even though British forces were almost no longer present in Singapore anymore (excluding only a very-small token force). In December of that same year, the British finally withdrew the last of their troops and the hospital was handed over to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and renamed as Singapore Armed Forces Hospital. The SAF Hospital catered to medical care of SAF personnel and their immediate families. Gradually, the hospital's services was also extended to members of the public, and rates were charged to the same as other government-run public hospitals elsewhere in Singapore.
The SAF Hospital later merged with the nearby 36-bed Changi Chalet Hospital in 1976 and renamed as Changi Hospital after the former was handed over to the Ministry of Health. This arrangement lasted until 15 December in 1997, when Changi Hospital was shut down after merging with Toa Payoh Hospital to form Changi General Hospital, after which, the old hospital ceased operations and was left empty ever since, with the ownership of the old hospital being transferred to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) which originally had posted security-guards and their guard-dogs to protect the old hospital from trespassers (at this time, the compound was not fenced up yet and many trespassers, both locals and foreigners, often enter the abandoned premises to conduct activities such as ghost-hunting, vandalism (both graffiti vandalism and outright damaging of the property), consumption of drugs and even Satanic worshipping).[1]
In 2006, the SLA put up the entire site for commercial-based leasing.[2] The tender put up was won by Bestway Properties, which proposed to build a luxurious spa-resort in the old hospital by the first half of 2008. The project fell through and was never commenced (partly due to financial difficulties during the recession at that period of time) and the site was returned to the SLA in 2010, which has since fenced up the entire compound and installed security-cameras and motion-sensors in multiple locations in and around the abandoned hospital to replace the security personnel needed to guard the area (even so, a few, mainly teens and the general youth, still attempt to sneak inside the hospital despite the risk of being arrested). Prosegur is the security company charged by SLA to protect Changi Hospital, which continues to remain abandoned to this day.
Universal Studios Singapore (USS) has built a small replica of the ex-Changi Hospital in its theme-park to raise awareness of the famous haunted building, which becomes popular amongst visitors especially during the Halloween period.[3] Since its abandonment, many horror stories and paranormal tales have emerged from the place, ranging from tales of an alleged nurse roaming the compound to poltergeists haunting the old hospital. However, there is almost no substantial proof to back these up, aside from several photos or videos taken outside or within the abandoned hospital.
On 3 November 2021, there is a proposal to transform the Old Changi Hospital into a stargazing observatory and aviation viewing deck has won a competition aimed at revamping the Changi Point area. It was named Ascending to the Sky and placed first in the open category in a contest for ideas to repurpose the old hospital. The competition was organised by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
Hauntings
The vacated hospital compound was popular with film-makers after the
References
- ^ "Merger with Toa Payoh Hospital". Changi General Hospital. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ^ "Old Changi Hospital for new developments". sla.gov.sg. 29 May 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ "USS HHN6 reveal". arwsome.com. 15 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- ISBN 9781617721489.
- ^ "Creepy video allegedly shows figure in nurse outfit running down Old Changi". STOMP. 14 February 2017.
- ^ "Friends encounter ghostly female figures at Changi chalet". STOMP. 12 February 2017.