Gleneagles Hospital strides forward with 65 years of innovative healthcare

Established in 1959, GEH now has 13 hospitals and two clinics across Asia.

STANDING tall at 65 years old, Gleneagles Hospital Singapore (GEH) looks back to its roots from its establishment in 1959 to its current position and aim of driving innovation in Singapore’s healthcare landscape.

Acquired by Parkway Holdings (now known as IHH Healthcare) in 1987, Gleneagles transformed into a tertiary care hospital in 1993. Today, Gleneagles Hospital Singapore CEO Thomas Wee proudly declares that the Gleneagles brand has expanded across Asia.

“There are 13 Gleneagles hospitals and two clinics across the world in Malaysia, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, and Brunei,” Wee told Healthcare Asia.

When it comes to advancing patient outcomes, he touted that Gleneagles Hospital Singapore remains consistent in seeking new ways to innovate, with such efforts dating back to 2002 when the hospital performed Southeast Asia’s first living donor liver transplant procedure for children.

Since then, vast improvements have been made. “We added the Da Vinci XI robotic surgical system this year and it enables our surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries whilst patients are provided with more options on how they would like to be cared for,” Wee said.

It was also the first institution in Asia to offer the Penumbra lightning system for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) treatment, an AI-driven suction system to remove blood clots in leg veins.

In 2023, GEH continued to push the boundary by seeking special approval to use the novel Quadratic Phenotypic Optimisation Platform (QPOP) which optimises chemotherapy regimes for steroid-resistant lymphoma patients.

Asked in this interview which milestone impacted him most as CEO, Wee mentioned that it was during the launch of their new Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, now in its stabilisation phase.

“On behalf of the IHH Healthcare group, GEH is the first hospital outside of Turkey to roll out the full-fledged EMR system Cerebral Plus, which was developed by our Turkish counterparts,” he said. “We believe that this system is robust and customisable for each geography, for generations to come.”

A symbol of resilience

Lasting long in the industry is no easy feat, as Wee emphasised how GEH continuously reviews service offerings, prioritises infrastructure upgrades, and assesses more efficient layouts to withstand challenges. 

To mark this milestone year, the group recently unveiled the “Brassocattleya Gleneagles,” an exclusive hybrid of the brassavola and cattleya orchids. The orchid is also Singapore’s national flower and reflective of the hospital’s Singaporean roots

“The unique hybrid is resistant to heavy rain and hot weather, and it thrives in harsh tropical environments, symbolising the hospital’s resilience and determination in the face of the demanding and ever-evolving healthcare landscape,” Wee said, noting how well it represents the hospital’s existence for 65 years.

Emphasising its resilience, he recalled how GEH was the first hospital in IHH Healthcare Singapore (IHH SG) to step forward and contribute to the national effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. And he owes it to the staff’s efforts and dedication for fearlessly being at the frontlines.

He also shared the challenges in 2022 and 2023 when Singapore faced a shortage of nurses across public and private hospitals.

“In response to this, we sought to recruit new nurses, and we also trained more patient care associates, allowing nurses to focus on their roles,” Wee recalled.

GEH, along with all IHH SG hospitals, has introduced shuttle bus services for staff commuting from Johor for safer and more convenient access to work.

“Fast forward to today, we are at a comfortable, steady state, with all our beds and operating theatres operational. This allows us to serve more patients.” Wee said.

Value-driven outcomes

As Singapore’s ageing population continues to grow rapidly, GEH aims to continuously invest in technologies and new healthcare delivery platforms to cope with the imminent demand that comes with it.

To the Gleneagles’ CEO, this includes the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven medical technologies and robotic surgeries for more effective care.

Wee further stated that they are committed to achieving value-driven outcomes, defined by the formula, outcomes over cost.

“With this effort, we quantify and demonstrate the value of our care, and assure the patient of the value they are receiving,” he said.

In line with this, the hospital participates in ongoing community work, such as blood donation drives, meal preparations at Willing Hearts, and fundraising for community organisations.

To Wee, this emphasises the hospital’s commitment to evolving with medical science whilst maintaining its core values and dedication to patient care.

“Even as health and medical science evolve and transform, our values and commitment to you remain. We are always on your side and let us stay healthier together, today and beyond,” he said.