KK Women's and Children's Hospital
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) | |
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SingHealth | |
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![]() 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 |
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]
From its humble beginnings as a small
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
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
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
In 2003, the old premises were marked as a
References
- ^ "Overview". KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- ^ National Library Board Singapore. Archived from the originalon 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.