New private not-for-profit hospital planned for eastern Singapore as demand for beds remains high

Singapore's eastern region will be home to a new private not-for-profit acute hospital, with consistently high hospital bed occupancy rates in the east and central areas cited as a key reason for its location.

In response to queries from AsiaOne, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the decision was made after considering various factors, with hospital bed occupancy rates in the central and eastern regions being one of the key considerations.

The spokesperson added that the new not-for-profit private acute hospital is also intended to provide more lower-cost private healthcare options for Singaporeans.

According to MOH data, Singapore had 12,767 acute hospital beds in 2025, including 10,784 in public hospitals, 334 in not-for-profit hospitals and 1,649 in private hospitals.

The new hospital, which was first announced in 2024, is expected to have between 300 and 400 beds.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung previously announced on April 9 that the government that a plot of land in eastern Singapore would be released for the second not-for-profit acute hospital, after Mount Alvernia Hospital.

The new facility is intended to increase acute hospital capacity as demand for healthcare services grows, particularly as Singapore's population ages.

High hospital occupancy in central, eastern regions

The move comes despite the fact that a large proportion of Singapore's public and private hospitals are already located in the central and eastern parts of the country.

The upcoming Eastern General Hospital in Bedok North is also expected to add another 1,000 acute hospital beds when it begins operations from 2029.

Hospital occupancy has also remained high at several public hospitals. 

Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, both in the central region, recorded their highest annual average bed occupancy rates in 2023 at 95.8 per cent and 96.9 per cent respectively.

Both hospitals had recorded the highest annual average occupancy rates among public hospitals for four years after 2018.

In the west, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital recorded an annual average occupancy rate of 93.8 per cent in 2023, the highest among hospitals in that region.

Public health specialist Jeremy Lim told The Straits Times that factors such as population density and the larger proportion of older residents in the central and eastern regions would likely have been considered when deciding where to build the hospital.

He said he was confident that MOH had correctly projected future demand, adding that land use in Singapore had to be carefully planned given the country's limited land supply.

Possible locations for new hospital

The exact site for the hospital has not yet been confirmed, although several potential locations have been identified.

Among the possible sites are plots in Simei, Paya Lebar and Serangoon.

The Paya Lebar site is the closest in size to the land occupied by Mount Alvernia Hospital, which has about 353 beds and sits on a plot measuring around 27,000 sq m.

Lim said the Paya Lebar site could be the most likely option, given the need for the new hospital to be sufficiently large to achieve economies of scale.

He added that the hospital would ideally need to provide quality clinical services at reasonable prices while being accessible by public transport and located near amenities such as shops, restaurants and malls. 

MOH said it has identified a suitable plot of land in the eastern region of Singapore, but details of the tender, including the specific site and requirements, are still being worked out.

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