新加坡前坎当克波医院三栋建筑列国家古迹，曾是逾120万新生儿的诞生之地

Former Kandang Kerbau Hospital Gazetted as Singapore's 76th National Monument

Three blocks of the former Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH), located on Hampshire Road, have been officially gazetted as Singapore's 76th National Monument on October 1st. This significant event was marked with the launch of a special public exhibition.

A Historical Landmark in Singapore's Healthcare

Originally opened on October 1, 1924, Kandang Kerbau Hospital, with roots tracing back to 1858, served as a free maternity hospital specializing in gynaecology and childbirth. Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo officiated the gazette, highlighting the facility's importance as a reminder of parenthood and the dedication of healthcare professionals.

The National Heritage Board (NHB) emphasized the hospital's pivotal role in Singaporean social history, having been the birthplace of over 1.2 million babies from 1924 until its relocation across the road in March 1997, when it became KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Future Plans for the Site

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) took over the premises in 2004 and has used it as their headquarters since. While the three blocks now designated as a national monument occupy half of a 3.5-hectare site earmarked for housing, the LTA will continue to occupy the site until approximately 2030.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has indicated that given the national monument status of Blocks 1, 2, and 3, agencies will review plans to integrate them sensitively into future developments. Gazetting provides the highest level of protection under local laws, requiring monuments to be of national significance across various criteria.

Architectural and Historical Significance of the Blocks

Block 2, completed in 1933, is the oldest remaining structure and initially housed the hospital's third-class wards. According to Mr. Nicholas Phoon, manager for built heritage and archaeology at NHB, it was the tallest building in the compound at the time. Block 3, completed in 1940, originally had three storeys, with a fourth added later, and served as antenatal and labour wards, also functioning partially as a midwifery school.

Block 1, facing Hampshire Road, was completed in 1955 and designed by Dr. Benjamin Henry Sheares, later Singapore’s second president, and chief government architect K. A. Bundle. This block housed air-conditioned wards, a students’ hostel, and an operating theatre.

"The Architecture of Care" Exhibition

A special exhibition, "The Architecture Of Care", is open to the public on the first storey of Block 1 until December 31st. It highlights the hospital's significant role as a birthplace for generations of Singaporeans, especially during the post-independence era. The exhibition notably features 1966, the "birthquake" year, during which a record 39,835 babies were born, averaging one every 13 minutes and 11 seconds – earning the hospital a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

The exhibition also showcases artifacts related to the hospital's contributions to midwifery, including a certificate from the nation's first school of midwifery, established in 1952, and handwritten notes by Dr. Yvonne Marjorie Salmon, the hospital’s first female head of obstetrics and gynaecology, taken during a 1953 lecture by Dr. Sheares.