SPECIALTIES & SERVICES
Family and Community Medicine
The Health For Life Clinic (HFLC) is dedicated to adding years of healthy life to the people of Singapore by providing early detection of lifestyle-related diseases, intervention programmes and health education.
Our wide range of comprehensive, evidence-based health screening packages is conducted at our cosy, patient-friendly clinic. For your convenience, we also bring our services on site to the premises of corporate clients and outreach programmes to the community.
Besides screening packages, our dedicated, multidisciplinary team runs intervention programmes such as weight management and chronic disease management. Our clinic connects you to a wide range of medical services, specialist departments and allied healthcare services.
Our health screening packages are evidence-based and catered to your specific needs. We are able to advise you on other relevant optional tests where necessary and provide appropriate follow-up care and specialist referral if required.
Corporate Workplace Health Screening
Employee health advocacy is a proven key to controlling health care costs. Regular health screening helps to detect any disease conditions at an early stage, when they may be most treatable. Tailored to the unique needs of your organisation, our workplace health programmes are designed to help you achieve higher productivity, efficiency, competitiveness and growth. Our services are complemented with counselling, health education and appropriate wellness programmes.
Click here for our Workplace Health Screening Packages
Weight management
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rapidly increasing globally. In Singapore, the latest National Health Survey in 2010 found 40.1% of the population overweight and 10.8% obese. Obesity and overweight are major risk factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
Alexandra Hospital and now Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s Weight Management Programme, the pioneer weight management programme in Singapore, was established on 29th August 2000. Since inception, our programme has helped more than 6000 patients from Singapore and regional countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
Our weight management programme aims to lower obesity associated health risks by helping patients lose their excess body weight and maintain a new healthier body weight. The programme focuses on gradual and sustained weight loss achieved through a multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of diet modification, exercise, behavioural therapy and medications (where indicated).
Some patients who are extremely obese and have undergone numerous unsuccessful weight loss attempts may be offered the option of bariatric (weight loss) surgery.
To date, at least 342 Lapband operations for patients with morbid obesity have been performed. Other bariatric surgical procedures performed include Bioenteric Intra-Gastric Balloon, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomies, Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass and Bilio-Pancreatic Bypass.
Our Weight Management Programme is conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals consisting of doctors, psychologists, nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists and it includes:
- Individual consultations with our doctors
- Nutrition counselling
- Behavioural modification therapy
- Physical activity counselling and exercise prescription
Our initial assessment and tests will identify any co-morbidities or complications resulting from excessive weight. Referral to the appropriate specialties will be made to treat these co-morbidities and complications. Patients will be certified by our doctors to be medically and physically fit before they are admitted into our programme.
The morbidly obese patients often time have difficulty achieving meaningful weight loss by conventional means: i.e. with diet, exercise and behavior modification, with or without the use of medication. It is even more difficult to maintain these weight reductions after they have been achieved. For some, it may be necessary to resort to surgery to achieve the desired goal of meaningful, sustained long term weight reduction.
Bariatric or weight control surgery has been available in Alexandra Hospital since 2000. We have now moved into our new premise at Khoo Teck Paut Hospital and the service has been expanded and improved on. We now offer the following options tailored to individual patient’s unique requirement:
1. Placing a balloon in the stomach via an endoscope; the Bioenteric Intra-gastric Balloon.
2. Placing a silicon ring around the upper part of the stomach; the Adjustable Gastric Band.
3. Making the stomach into a narrow tube; the Sleeve Gastrectomy.
4. Bypassing part of the stomach; the Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass.
Options 2, 3 and 4 require an operation through small abdominal incisions, utilizing the laparoscope. This minimally invasive approach, unlike the older methods of operating via a large abdominal incision; minimizes pain, allows early recovery and shorter hospital stay. E.g. the gastric band can be performed as a day procedure.
All patients undergoing bariatric procedures require lifelong follow up and adherence to a regime of healthy eating, exercises and other behavior modification. Up to 80% excess weight loss can be expected.
Travel Medicine and Vaccinations
Travel Medicine and Vaccination Clinic provides pre-travel counselling, vaccinations and medications to help you stay healthy during your travels.
Click here for more on Travel Medicine & Vaccination
Pre-employment & other Medical Screening
We offer pre-employment and other medical screenings to assist you in achieving your goal of building a healthy and vital workforce.
Occupational Health Services
We also offer occupational health services like doctor clinic sessions or work-related screenings (for example, Audiometry) to companies or specific industries either on site or at our premises.
Exercise as Medicine
Although the importance of exercise for lifelong wellness is well-known, many of us may not have an idea how to cultivate this advantageous habit.
At HFL's gym, we offer exercise consultation, testing and exercise programmes with our physiotherapists, who are themselves lifelong exercisers. We are committed to empowering you with the confidence and knowledge to adopt exercise on your own as part of a holistic approach to health.
Some of our services include:
- Support for our core programs such as weight management and diabetes management
- Cardiac rehabilitation
- Lifestyle fitness programmes
- Exercise consultation, assessment and training
- Formulating different exercise modules for different needs
The hospital runs Singapore LapBandits, a support group for patients who have had surgery and for those considering bariatric or weight loss surgery. Please visit the group's Facebook page here.