Alexandra Hospital The history of Alexandra Hospital dates back to 1938 when it was built by the British armed forces to serve the medical needs of the troops and their families. Known as the British Military Hospital, it was then the largest and best- equipped military hospital outside the United Kingdom. With the advent of war, the 32 Company Royal Army Medical Corps occupied the hospital. In February 1942, Japanese troops massacred around 200 hospital personnel and patients (see box). In 1971, as part of the process of British military withdrawal from the region, the hospital was transferred to the Singapore government for a token sum of $1, and reopened as a general hospital, serving the population in the western part of Singapore (see hospitals).

In 2000, Alexandra Hospital became a member of the National Healthcare Group, one of the two clusters under the Ministry of Health. It is now a 400- bed hospital, serving both private and subsidized patients. It provides international inpatient services, catering to the medical and personal needs of foreign patients. In 2005, Alexandra Hospital was accredited by the Joint Commission International.

Photo credit: Timothy Auger