Novena

📷: Health City Novena in 2030 (HealthCity Novena)

Novena Town is in central Singapore, between Moulmein Road and Irrawaddy Road, renowned for its world-class healthcare institutions.

These institutions play a big role in Singapore's healthcare history as well as the precinct's own heritage, a story that involves its neighbouring town, Balestier.

Since the 1860s, Balestier has served as an important medical hub: the healthcare institutions there had tended to the wounded in World War II, and played a pivotal role in treating and controlling outbreaks, including tuberculosis in the 1950s and SARS in 2003. Generations of medical students had trained there, including those who developed the institutions of neighbouring Novena.

Developments are currently underway for Novena’s transformation into a 17-hectare modern integrated healthcare precinct – the Health City Novena by 2030. In a healthcare master plan unveiled in 2013, Health City Novena will be developed in two major phases, and when completed by 2030, it will be Singapore’s biggest healthcare complex, comprising 15 integrated buildings including 9 new developments. All public and volunteer healthcare facilities, plus a medical school, as well as Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) will be physically linked up. It will also be boasted by 8 hectares of greenery, fitness and heritage for the community and a comprehensive network of aerial bridges, basements and street linkages to facilitate accessibility.

Other than healthcare facilities, Novena is known for its iconic landmark, the Novena church, otherwise known as the Church of St Alphonsus. It was established in 1935 by the Redemptorists, and its first chapel was based in a house at 339 Thomson Road (presently Thomson Medical Centre). In 1948, the Redemptorists acquired a plot of land from Wee Kah Kiat, a Chinese businessman, and completed their church building in 1950. The church soon became known as the Novena Church due to its Saturday novenas which began in January 1949. The term “Novena” is derived from the Latin word novem, meaning "nine", and refers to a nine-day devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces. Due to the popularity of this devotion, which drew people from all across the island, the surrounding area and nearby MRT station later acquired the name Novena.

With its excellent medical facilities and welcoming spiritual services, Novena town continues to be known throughout the country as a place that offers redemption and relief, for the care of body and soul.

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