| KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-kanak KK (Malay) 竹脚妇幼医院 (Chinese) கே கே பெண்கள் மற்றும் குழந்தைகள் மருத்துவமனை (Tamil) | |
|---|---|
| SingHealth | |
.svg) | |
 Street view of KK Women's and Children's Hospital | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899, Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°18′38.0″N 103°50′49.0″E / 1.310556°N 103.846944°E / 1.310556; 103.846944 |
| Organisation | |
| Type | Specialist |
| Services | |
| Yes Accident & Emergency | |
| Beds | 864[1] |
| Speciality | Women's and children's hospital |
| History | |
| Founded | 1858 (1858) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Lists | Hospitals in Singapore |
| Former Kandang Kerbau Hospital | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the Former Kandang Kerbau Hospital area | |
General information | |
| Type | Government offices |
Architectural style | Low-rise |
| Owner | Land Transport Authority |
| Operator | Land Transport Authority |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Designated | 1 October 2025 (1 October 2025) |
| Reference no. | 76 |
KK Women's and Children's Hospital (abbreviation: KKH) is the largest public hospital specialising in healthcare for women and children in Singapore, located at 100 Bukit Timah Road. It has 864 beds and provides obstetric and gynecology, neonatology, and pediatric services.[2]
Often referred to as "KK" amongst locals,[3] it is the birthplace of a sizeable proportion of Singaporeans, delivering over half of total newborns in the country as early as 1938.
Etymology
The hospital's name comes from the Malay term for "buffalo shed" (kandang = shed / pen + kerbau = buffalo), reflecting the area's past link with buffalo rearing.[3]
History
The hospital was set up in 1858.[4]
While the hospital initially started as one catering to health care for women, mainly for gynecology and obstetrics, it has since expanded its role.
First, the pediatrics department was added for the care of the babies after delivery, but over the years it expanded into a full pediatric service, treating younger patients for all kinds of illnesses up to teenagers. An offshoot, the neonatology service, was then added. Thus the expanded role of the hospital warranted a renaming to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
1924 to 1999: conversion to maternity hospital
On 1 October 1924, KKH was converted to a maternity hospital with 30 beds.[3] It was also used to train students in midwifery and medicine.[3]
During World War II, KKH became an emergency general hospital for the population when Japan attacked Singapore.[3] During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the hospital was called Chuo Byoin or Central Hospital.[3]
In 1966, the hospital entered the Guinness Book of Records for delivering the highest number of newborns within a single maternity facility for that year, and it continued to hold on to this record for a full decade,[2] delivering 85% of the population.[5]
In March 1997, the hospital moved to its present site.[5]
2000s to present
As a result of a restructuring exercise in the local healthcare scene, the hospital became a member of the Singapore Health Services on 1 April 2000.[5]
In 2003, the old premises were marked as a historical site by the National Heritage Board,[2] a tribute to an institution that has been the birthplace of over 1.2 million Singaporeans since its inception. With the rich history of the former KK Hospital, it was gazetted as a national monument on 1 October 2025[6] and the old premises were leased to Land Transport Authority as a transportation museum and gallery.[5]
References
- "Who We Are". KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala (11 December 2002). "Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH)". National Library Board Singapore. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- Auto, Hermes (17 October 2016). "From treating sex workers to maternity hospital: History of KKH | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
- "KK Women's and Children's Hospital". Singapore Infopedia. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- "Hospital Milestones". KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- "Former KKH on Hampshire Road gazetted as national monument". 1 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.