Outpatients and visitors to Khoo Teck Puat National University Children’s Medical Institute will feel welcomed by the airy, child-friendly spaces and playgrounds in the building.
What is the Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute?
Khoo Teck Puat National University Children’s Medical Institute or KTP-NUCMI is located at Zone E of the Kent Ridge Wing at National University Hospital (NUH).
It represents the paediatric cluster in NUH comprising the departments of Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery and Neonatology. The departments provide comprehensive care for infants, children and adolescents.
The medical institute is also the principal teaching facility of the Department of Paediatrics and the primary institution for paediatric medical education.
NUH’s outpatient paediatric services are consolidated within a one-stop centre at KTP-NUCMI made possible through a generous gift from the estate of Khoo Teck Puat.
Catering to its patients, the centre has a child-centric and family-friendly environment. The overall design concept was inspired by nature. From the arrival atrium to the interiors, the environment is centred around play.
Spacious Atrium at KTP-NUCMI
As you enter the building, the lofty atrium shows visuals of a street playground and pastel townhouses.
The registration and payment booths are in little houses that look right out of a themed park. Seats and benches are suitable for children to get on, with plants all around the seating area.
It makes the environment soothing, pleasant and calming for any outpatients who may be nervous about their treatments.
The washrooms were also child-sized and decked in vibrant colours that are appealing to young visitors.
From our experience as outpatients, we also found the registration process very quick and fuss-free. There was minimal waiting time as getting a queue number ahead of time made it an efficient process.
Upon registration (and preliminary assessments if any), outpatients proceed upstairs for further tests or consultations with doctors.
Themed Floors for Consultations
It does not look like a typical hospital, especially as you journey to the upper storeys where the consultation rooms are located.
Levels Six, Seven and Eight are all individually themed. Level Six has a rainforest theme, Level Seven has a savannah theme and Level Eight has an arctic theme.
While waiting, little ones can visit the three levels’ outdoor playgrounds and sky gardens.
At Level Six, children can climb up the treehouse using the rope ladder and then slide down. They can also spin on the stand-up spinner or rock on the two-person see-saw.
The playground at Level Seven had a mound with two trampolines, a short slope for children to climb on and a slide.
Level Eight’s playground was not accessible at the time of our visit
Instead of waiting, children can now play and expend their energy outdoors at the playgrounds! This also takes a load off parents without the need to stop their child from running wild. However, parents should accompany their children to the playgrounds.
There is also an outdoor playground at Level One. However, this is for the use of in-patients.
As a parent, my expectation of waiting in rows of seats was quickly dispelled at KTP-NUCMI.
The usual configurations were replaced by modular furniture that could also be used as play or rest.
The sky gardens and playgrounds are also right next to the waiting area. This gave us the chance to calm our nerves or just step out for some fresh air.
The amount of natural light in the spaces was delightful and the spaces erased the misconceptions we had about hospital visits.
Consultation rooms were also designed to have a “free-flow” interaction with the doctors. There was low modular seating for the younger ones to play at. This also lets parents have fruitful discussions with the consultants while the child is occupied. Each room also had full-height windows to brighten the space and make it look less intimidating.
Nursing Rooms & Child-friendly Washrooms
Apart from the aesthetically pleasing themes on wildlife, the medical institute is also well appointed with nursing rooms and child-friendly washrooms.
The breastfeeding rooms were themed according to the floor with nursing cubicles, changing pads and a sink.
Washrooms had chid-sized cubicles and sinks accessible for little ones as well.
We left the medical institute very impressed by the infrastructure centred on giving young outpatients and their families holistic care.
For those who are visiting Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute, Kent Ridge MRT is the nearest MRT station. The medical institute is also accessible via NUH Medical Centre or One@KentRidge, with a link bridge to Kent Ridge Wing at NUH.
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