RESILIENCE OF HOSPITAL FACILITIES IN SINGAPORE �S HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

Abstract

Healthcare infrastructure is suffering from the increasing pressure due to population growth and Singapore’s rapid ageing population. The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the resilience of hospital facilities in Singapore’s healthcare industry. The main attribute of resilience is adaptive capacity which is also associated to vulnerability. Vulnerability is defined as the system’s susceptibility to threats which causes damages, affecting its normal performance while resilience is defined as the ability to anticipate and having the capacity to change before setback becomes obvious. Survey questionnaire results from 83 respondents, comprising of 31 healthcare professionals and 52 members of the public, formed the main research methodology for this dissertation. 91% of the respondents perceive bed shortage as an indication of vulnerability. Case study on Tan Tock Seng Hospital was conducted to assess policies’ influence on building up of adaptive capacity to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience. The survey result showed that bed shortage, high bed occupancy and long waiting hours were perceived as indication of vulnerability by the respondents. In addition, a case study of Tan Tock Seng Hospital was conducted to assess policies’ influence on building up of adaptive capacity to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience.