TTSH to keep one century-old pavilion ward and demolish the remaining eight

Retained ward to be heritage marker; others will make way for 4-storey interim healthcare facility

- Ng Keng Gene

After standing for around a century, all but one of Tan Tock Seng Hospital's (TTSH) nine remaining pavilion wards will be demolished, with the retained ward to serve as a heritage marker.

The eight wards - located at the end of Jalan Tan Tock Seng, near Bassein Road - will make way for what a construction notice describes as a "new four-storey interim healthcare facility".

Established in 1844, TTSH is the country's second-oldest hospital, after Singapore General Hospital, which dates back to 1821.

Pavilion wards were built between 1907 and 1931 at TTSH's current Balestier Hill location, which the hospital moved to in 1909 from Serangoon Road.

The wards were among the hospital's main buildings in 1909, and housed tuberculosis and dysentery patients.

The single-storey wards are characterised by a central aisle that facilitated patient supervision, high ceilings, as well as good lighting and ventilation that aided patient recovery and reduced the odds of them developing infections.

They were also commonly referred to as Nightingale wards - named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing who was credited with revolutionising ward design in the 1800s by letting in natural air and light.

The wards were phased out from 1999 after TTSH's current main building was opened, and some were later used by charity healthcare institution Ren Ci until 2017 as a nursing home.