A restructured hospital is the official term for a public hospital in Singapore.
When you hear people talk about going to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), National University Hospital (NUH), or Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), they are talking about restructured hospitals.
Restructured hospitals or public hospitals are also sometimes referred to as government hospitals.
1. Why Are Public Hospitals Called Restructured Hospitals
Before the late 1980s, public hospitals in Singapore were run directly by the Ministry of Health (MOH). They operated like traditional government departments. While they did a great job, the government realized that standard civil service rules made it hard for hospitals to quickly adapt to new medical technologies, hire specialized staff efficiently, or manage costs effectively.
So, the government decided to “restructure” them.
They transitioned these hospitals away from being direct government departments and turned them into corporate entities. They are now run essentially like private companies, with their own management boards and the freedom to make quick, efficient decisions.
However, restructured hospitals are still 100% owned by the government through a holding company called MOH Holdings.
2. List Of Restructured Hospitals In Singapore
To make things more efficient, the government organized these restructured hospitals into three geographic “clusters” to ensure every region in Singapore has a comprehensive healthcare network:
SingHealth (East & Central)
- Singapore General Hospital (SGH)
- Changi General Hospital (CGH)
- Sengkang General Hospital (SKH)
- KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH)
National University Health System (NUHS) (West)
National Healthcare Group (NHG) (Central & North)
- Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH)
- Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH)
- Woodlands Health (WH)
- Institute of Mental Health (IMH)
3. National Specialty Centres
National Specialty Centres focus exclusively on specialized outpatient and complex tertiary care for a single medical field such as cancer and ophthalmology.
For inpatient care, they are often physically located right next to an acute hospital and share their ward infrastructure. For example, the National Heart Centre is located on the SGH campus.
In practical terms, such as government subsidies and insurance claims, they are treated under the same public healthcare institution umbrella as restructured hospitals.
SingHealth
- National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS)
- National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS)
- Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)
- National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS)
- National Neuroscience Institute (NNI)
National University Health System (NUHS)
- National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS)
- National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS)
