St Luke's Hospital, Singapore

St. Luke's Hospital (Abbreviation: SLH Chinese: 圣路加爱老医院) is a community hospital in Bukit Batok, Singapore. It is located at 2 Bukit Batok Street 11, next to the Princess Elizabeth Primary School and Millennia Institute. The year 2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the hospital since its inception.

Vision
The hospital provides medical, nursing and rehabilitative care for the needy elderly, regardless of race and religion. It started as an idea from the Graduates’ Christian Fellowship in Singapore, and the Singapore Nurses’ Christian Fellowship. They were responding to the issues raised by a 1988 report of the Advisory Council on the Aged. This small group of Christian nurses and doctors had a vision of setting up a haven for the elderly sick to experience quality care and compassionate service. In July 1989, the Graduates’ Christian Fellowship, Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship and Nurses’ Christian Fellowship formed a study group to examine the feasibility of setting up a home for the elderly sick. After two and a half years of study and discussion with various people and authorities, St. Luke’s Home for the Elderly Sick was registered and gazetted with seven foundation Members.

A Hospital Built For The Needy Elderly
Through many deliberations and consultations, the vision of a hospital emerged which would provide a level of medical services much higher than was currently available in other nursing homes. At the first Annual General Meeting on 8 May 1992, the name was changed to St. Luke’s Hospital for the Elderly and the eighth Foundation Member joined.

The hospital's eight foundation members are: • Bartley Christian Church • Bethesda Frankel Estate Church • Bethesda Katong Church • Church of Singapore • Graduates Christian Fellowship • Singapore Nurses Christian Fellowship • Presbyterian Community Services • Wesley Methodist Church

As the vision and passion of the foundation members spread, their ideals finally became a reality with the completion of the hospital building in March 1996. Being a voluntary welfare organisation, the hospital is supported by funds from the Ministry of Health, Christian organisations and public donations. These funds help needy patients cover most of their medical treatment and needs.

Care For Patients: Services
The hospital houses 180 beds. More than 90 percent of the beds are highly subsidized. This is possible through channels such as the hospital’s Patient Welfare Fund, to provide financial assistance to needy patients. The hospital is supported by subvention from the Ministry of Health in Singapore, patients’ fees and donations from the community. It is a member of the National Council of Social Services (Singapore) but does not receive any contributions from the Community Chest.

St. Luke's Hospital offers the following services to its patients, most being above 40 years of age and are referred to the hospital.

• Inpatient Medical and Rehabilitative Care

A team of specialist family physicians trained in rehabilitation and community geriatrics plan suitable treatment for the patients. Visiting geriatricians from Singapore's acute hospitals also support in areas of sub-acute care.

Physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists customise treatment programs to maximise patients' functions so they may return to the community soonest.

• Wound and Stoma Care

An specialisation for which SLH is known for, the hospital's wound and stoma care nurses take care of both inpatient and outpatient complex cases.

•  Outpatient Service

The hospital's family physicians treat outpatient cases in areas which include mood and memory disorder, outstanding and ongoing medical / rehabilitative issues, as well as geriatric syndromes such as incontinence and immobility.

• Equipping Caregivers

Caregivers who require short-term respite have entrusted their elderly members to the hospital for short-term professional healthcare. In addition, SLH offers equips caregivers with necessary skills, through training courses.

• Chaplaincy Service Being a hospital based on Christian principles, SLH provides holistic care with counselling to patients and their families who wish to receive this service.