Summary:
- A decommissioned MRT carriage, bus, and taxi at St Andrew’s Community Hospital in Bedok now form a realistic mobility training environment to help patients rehabilitate and build confidence in everyday transport use.
- Part of the MRT carriage will also serve as a caregiver resource hub, complemented by an ADL Room and other supports aimed at reducing caregiver stress and improving home-care skills.
- Other new patient amenities include a hydroponic therapeutic garden as well as upcoming AI-enabled fall-prevention systems in mid-2026.
A donated MRT train carriage is now finding new life as a rehabilitative training environment and caregiver resource hub at the newly opened 240-bed St Andrew’s Community Hospital (SACH) in Bedok.
The over-23m-long decommissioned carriage sits alongside a donated SBS Transit public bus and ComfortDelGro taxi on the grounds of the hospital’s carpark, where it can conveniently be accessed by patients.
The so-called “Tanjong Pagar Hub” is likely to be the first rehabilitative training environment in Singapore to feature a fleet of real vehicles, said Dr Angel Lee, the hospital’s medical director.
Other facilities, including the St Andrew’s Community Hospital in Simei, usually use mock-up vehicles. Sessions at the mobility park are guided by the hospital’s therapists, and include everything from boarding and alighting various vehicles, to the use of personal mobility aids (PMAs).
"It mimics what they will actually experience when they go back out in the community."
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What’s new at St Andrew’s Community Hospital in Bedok
Apart from serving as a rehabilitation tool, a portion of the MRT carriage will soon be converted into a resource hub and comfortable hangout space for caregivers.
"From my experience and the surveys we’ve conducted, caregivers are known to be highly stressed. With this space, we can provide them with resources, training, and a place to connect."
Caregivers can also benefit from a free-to-enter Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Room equipped with senior-friendly home fixtures and assistive devices.
You can think of it as an IKEA showroom, complete with price tags and detailed information on where to get the items. It will also serve as a training area for caregivers learning how to use these devices at home.
Patients at the hospital’s 100 community and 140 transitional care beds will also benefit from therapeutic horticulture programmes at an indoor hydroponics garden, with the chance to bring home their own cultivated veggies.
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More to come in following years
Come mid-2026, beds and toilets at the dementia-friendly wards will also be equipped with a fall prediction and prevention system powered by artificial intelligence.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung said that the opening of the community hospital supports acute healthcare facilities like Changi General Hospital in the east. This is set to improve further in 2029 with the opening of the Eastern General Hospital in Bedok North.
Upgrades to Singapore’s physical healthcare infrastructure won’t be the only thing to look forward to in the coming years.
The minister also announced plans to improve flexibility and agility in training programmes for allied health professionals. To do so, they will receive broad-based training with similar first-year modules, before specialising into specific verticals. This will be implemented from 2027.
