Woodlands Hospital opens digestive health centre for comprehensive treatment at one place

Head of the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at Woodlands Hospital Christopher Chia (left) and consultant Sasha Shoba Devi Thrumurthy (right) demonstrating what is seen through the endoscope to Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Published Sep 28, 2026, 06:15 PM

Updated Sep 28, 2026, 06:15 PM

Woodlands Hospital has opened a new Digestive Health Centre to provide comprehensive gut health services for northern Singapore residents, offering prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care.

The centre uses multidisciplinary teams, AI technology, and rehabilitation to improve coordinated care, aiming to enhance health outcomes closer to patients' homes.

This initiative is part of broader efforts to address higher disease rates in the North, with a focus on timely screening, especially for colorectal cancer, which remains the second most common cancer in Singapore.

SINGAPORE – A new one-stop centre for gut health has opened in Woodlands to provide comprehensive care for patients, from prevention and screening to diagnosis, treatment, recovery and continued care.

Digestive conditions range from common concerns such as acid reflux, indigestion, and constipation to complex diseases, such as cancer of the stomach, bowel, liver, pancreas, and bile ducts.

The Digestive Health Centre, located in Woodlands Hospital, was officially launched on Sept 28.

It is part of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) broader efforts to improve the health of residents in the north “by delivering care that is more integrated, preventive and person-centred”, said Senior Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam at the launch.

Woodlands Hospital has launched four specialist-supported care programmes for asthma, diabetes, psychiatry and post-colonoscopy care.

During the debate over MOH’s budget on March 5 , Rahayu told Parliament that diabetes and hypertension rates in northern Singapore are higher than average, and residents there exercise less.

The region was singled out to be the first to receive some extra help and efforts, include longer operating hours at 11 enhanced community health posts, health programmes for individuals at risk, specialist-supported care, and even health services at two mosques.

This is part of a national effort to nudge more than 500,000 residents in the north of the island republic, including the 250,000 living in Woodland, to take charge of their health.

Chief executive officer of Woodlands Hospital Joe Hau said the Digestive Health Centre represents the hospital’s commitment to building healthcare around the needs of the community.

“By strengthening access to specialised digestive care in the north, we want to help patients receive the right care and support them throughout their journey,” he said.

The centre is supported by multidisciplinary care teams, artificial intelligence-enabled technologies and rehabilitation services.

Better care is not only about the quality of diagnosis and treatment.

Rahayu, who is also the Minister of State for Communications and Information, added: “It is also about ensuring that care is well coordinated across the different settings where residents receive support. That is why we are strengthening the links between community, primary and specialist care, so that residents can receive the right support at each stage of their health journey.”

Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam speaking at the official opening ceremony of the new health centre. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam speaking at the official opening ceremony of the new health centre.

Citing the example of colorectal cancer, she said with timely screening, diagnosis and treatment, the outcome for these patients can be significantly different.

To this end, primary care physicians can refer eligible patients directly to the centre for diagnostic scopes after appropriate counselling on what the test is about and proper sample collection procedures.

According to the Singapore Cancer Registry 2023, colorectal cancer remains the second most common cancer in Singapore, with approximately 37 new cases for every 100,000 males and 27 for every 100,000 females.

Regular screening via Faecal Immunochemical Tests and colonoscopies can detect precancerous polyps. But only 44.9 per cent of Singapore residents aged 50 to 74 had undergone screening in 2024.

Rahayu said: “Better care is not only about the quality of diagnosis and treatment. It is also about ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time, as timely access can directly affect care outcomes.”

兀兰医院胃肠肝病科主任 Christopher Chia（左）和顾问 Sasha Shoba Devi Thrumurthy（右）向卫生部政务部长 Rahayu Mahzam 演示通过内窥镜看到的内容。

图片来源：联合早报

发布于 2026 年 9 月 28 日下午 6:15

更新于2026年9月28日下午6:15

兀兰医院开设了一家新的消化健康中心，为新加坡北部居民提供全面的肠道健康服务，包括预防、诊断、治疗和持续护理。

该中心利用多学科团队、人工智能技术和康复手段来改善协调护理，旨在提高患者在家附近的健康效果。

这项举措是为应对北部地区较高的疾病发病率而采取的更广泛措施的一部分，重点是及时筛查，特别是针对结直肠癌的筛查，结直肠癌仍然是新加坡第二大常见癌症。

新加坡——兀兰开设了一家全新的肠道健康一站式中心，为患者提供从预防和筛查到诊断、治疗、康复和后续护理的全面服务。

消化系统疾病的范围很广，从常见的胃酸反流、消化不良和便秘，到复杂的疾病，例如胃癌、肠癌、肝癌、胰腺癌和胆管癌。

位于兀兰医院的消化健康中心于9月28日正式启用。

卫生部高级政务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆在启动仪式上表示，这是卫生部为改善北部居民健康而采取的更广泛努力的一部分，“通过提供更加综合、预防性和以人为本的护理”。

伍德兰兹医院推出了四项由专家支持的护理计划，分别针对哮喘、糖尿病、精神病和结肠镜检查后护理。

3月5日，在卫生部预算辩论期间，拉哈尤告诉国会，新加坡北部地区的糖尿病和高血压发病率高于平均水平，而且当地居民的运动量较少。

该地区被选中成为第一个获得额外帮助和努力的地区，包括延长 11 个加强型社区卫生站的营业时间、为高危人群提供健康计划、专家支持的护理，甚至在两座清真寺提供医疗服务。

这是全国范围内的一项举措，旨在促使该岛国北部超过 50 万居民（包括居住在伍德兰的 25 万居民）重视自身健康。

伍德兰兹医院首席执行官乔·豪表示，消化健康中心体现了医院致力于围绕社区需求构建医疗保健的承诺。

他说：“通过加强北部地区获得专业消化系统护理的机会，我们希望帮助患者获得正确的护理，并在整个治疗过程中为他们提供支持。”

该中心由多学科护理团队、人工智能技术和康复服务提供支持。

更好的医疗服务不仅仅体现在诊断和治疗的质量上。

同时兼任通讯和信息国务部长的拉哈尤补充道：“这还关乎确保居民在不同医疗机构接受支持时，各项护理工作能够协调一致。因此，我们正在加强社区、基层和专科医疗之间的联系，以便居民在健康历程的每个阶段都能获得恰当的支持。”

卫生部国务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆在新卫生中心正式启用仪式上发表讲话。图片来源：联合早报

卫生部国务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆在新卫生中心正式开幕仪式上发表讲话。

她以结直肠癌为例表示，通过及时筛查、诊断和治疗，这些患者的预后可能会大不相同。

为此，初级保健医生可以在对符合条件的患者进行适当的咨询，说明检查内容和正确的样本采集程序后，直接将他们转诊到中心进行诊断检查。

根据新加坡癌症登记处 2023 年的数据，结直肠癌仍然是新加坡第二大常见癌症，每 10 万名男性中约有 37 例新发病例，每 10 万名女性中约有 27 例新发病例。

定期进行粪便免疫化学检测和结肠镜检查可以检测出癌前息肉。但2024年，新加坡50至74岁居民中只有44.9%接受过筛查。

拉哈尤表示：“更好的医疗服务不仅在于诊断和治疗的质量，还在于确保患者在正确的时间获得正确的治疗，因为及时就医会直接影响治疗效果。”