Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital stands as the nation’s main landmark to healthcare. Located in Kiulap, the country’s main hospital overlooks the historic Brunei River and the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan itself.
The hospital consists of seven main blocks: Ward blocks, the Specialist Clinics block, the Plant & Engineering block, the Outpatients and State Lab block, the Sports Complex, the Transport Complex with jetty and helipad facilities and the Women & Children’s Centre.
RIPAS Hospital was named after Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al- Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam.
Her Majesty officially opened the hospital on August 28, 1984, in the same year that the country gained independence. On opening, the hospital assumed the role of the Rumah Sakit Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan, which had become cramped and was no longer able to accommodate the nation’s growing medical and health needs.
In terms of specialist training, some departments in RIPAS Hospital have been accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Surgeons, United Kingdom since 1982.
RIPAS Hospital has been accredited for basic specialist medical training by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Clinic. In 2000, the hospital gained further accreditation as a teaching hospital by Queensland University Hospital.
The RIPAS Hospital Women and Children’s Centre was officially opened in 2015. The centre is equipped with state of the art facilities and services for its Paediatric Ward, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ward, Children’s Specialist Ward, General Paediatric Ward, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Special Care Baby Unit, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Oncology Ward, 13 suites of labour rooms, two operation rooms and a Gynaecology Ward.
Since 2015, the Accident and Emergency Department has expanded in terms of area and equipment. The department has three areas: the resuscitation area (yellow zone), urgent area (red zone) and non-urgent cases area (green zone). Following a renovation expansion project a few years ago, each area had its equipment upgraded and space expanded, and a new emergency ward for children was introduced.
The hospital’s main focus is to provide the people of Brunei Darussalam high quality services sustainable by the government. RIPAS Hospital offers more than 15 clinical specialties, including the Medical Services Department, Surgical Services Department, Accident and Emergency Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Neurosurgery Department and Orthopedic Department.
Annually, the hospital has recorded 314,092 outpatient attendance and 28,198 inpatient admissions as well as 72 per cent bed occupancy rate.
RIPAS Hospital aims to be the Centre of Healthcare Excellence in the region, generating revenue for the government through medical tourism.
Brunei’s only tertiary Cardiac Centre, Gleneagles JPMC, is a joint venture between the Brunei Government and IHH Healthcare Berhad, the world’s second largest listed healthcare operator.
In 2019, Gleneagles JPMC performed 3,144 diagnostic and interventional procedures, consisting of 1,266 coronary angiograms, 804 cases of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and 112 electrophysiological studies and interventions, among others.
Since Gleneagles JPMC started operations, the centre has continuously provided tertiary and quaternary cardiac services to residents of the country as well as the region.
Over the years, Gleneagles JPMC has marked many milestones and achievements. These include being the first centre in Borneo and one of the first in the region to perform an endovascular stenting for aortic aneurysms in 2005; Thoracoscopic ablation for Atrial fibrillation in 2006; Implantation of the Watchman device for left atrial appendage closure; and Mitra Clip insertion for Mitral valve repair in 2014.
In 2013, Gleneagles JPMC became the first centre in Borneo and one of the first in the region to acquire the CARTO mapping system and to perform radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Then, in 2014, it became the first centre in Borneo and one of the first in the region to perform successful implantation of a left ventricular assist device.
In 2016, Gleneagles JPMC performed its first case of Trans catheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). Since then, it has performed over 20 cases.
Gleneagles JPMC made international headlines when it broadcast live the advanced medical procedures carried out at the centre to the 14th MYLIVE 2017 in Kuala Lumpur – an international cardiology conference which attracted specialists from all over the world.
It was the first live telecast of a medical procedure from Brunei. This was followed by a further telecast in 2019 to the ASEAN Federation of Cardiology Congress (AFCC) 2019.
In November 2020, Gleneagles JPMC earned the Joint Commission International’s Gold Seal of Approval for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its internationally recognised standards. The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organisation’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
In order to serve the public better, Gleneagles JPMC commissioned the new Philips Azurion Bi-plane Angiography System in 2020. The commissioning of this new system supports its commitment to continuously upgrade its facilities, improve its services and provide the highest level of care to residents of Brunei Darussalam and the region.
Specialists from Gleneagles JPMC and cardiologists from the Ministry of Health have regular meetings to discuss cases to ensure that there is consensus for the best treatment options for cardiac patients.
Gleneagles JPMC also invites independent clinical auditors to review its interventional cardiology and surgical cases and outcomes on an annual basis. This is to ensure that its clinical management is in line with international best practice.
The Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) is a healthcare specialist centre consisting of three centres: The Brunei Cancer Centre; Brunei Neuroscience, Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre; and Maxillofacial, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Centre.
PJSC dedicates its resources to providing comprehensive check-ups, consultations and treating patients with cancer, stroke and other neurological problems with the latest technology evidence based treatment, healthy sporting lifestyle advice and outstanding rehabilitation programmes.
The centre also provides quality and tailored medical and rehabilitative treatment to patients with these diseases within the country, around and beyond the region.
Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) is a private specialist hospital in Brunei Darussalam, and one of the first private hospitals in Brunei to be awarded with the Joint Commission International Award.
JPMC has several clinics and units under its wing including the Outpatient Clinic, Dental Clinic, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopedics Clinic, Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine Unit.
The centre offers general, specialised and surgical healthcare services for the public. Its services include cardiology, dentistry, dermatology and medical imaging, among others.
Established in 2009, The Brunei Cancer Centre (TBCC) houses five departments: Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Palliative Care, Nuclear Medicine and Early Detection and Cancer Prevention Services.
The Medical Oncology Department offers treatment including chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targetted therapy and immunotherapy. In recent years, the department provided a personalised treatment approach through molecular genotyping of tumour to deliver the most appropriate treatment for patients.
The establishment of Radiation Oncology in 2016 and Nuclear Medicine in 2017 at PJSC has helped patients receive radiotherapy and radionuclide imaging/therapy locally. Apart from conventional radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy, the Radiation Oncology Department recently commenced transperineal prostate biopsy to detect early prostate cancer and brachytherapy treatment.
Early Detection and Cancer Prevention Services were established in 2019. The department offers education, risk-assessment, cancer screening including genetic testing, and counselling on early detection of cancer and prevention strategies.
TBCC became a member of the Union for International Cancer Control in 2020, joining forces with other nations in reducing global cancer burden.
The Brunei Neuroscience, Stroke and Rehabilitation Centre (BNSRC) provides treatment for diseases of the nervous system including stroke, epilepsy, diseases of the spine and spinal cord, neurodegenerative disorders as well as extensive rehabilitative services.
BNSRC was established in 2010 as a highly specialised stroke facility by Jerudong Park Medical Centre in partnership with a centre in Germany. From 2016, it has established stateof- the-art premises within the PJSC.
Since November 5, 2018, BNSRC has merged with the Divisions of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Rehabilitation (Rehabilitation) under the Ministry of Health to provide specialised treatment to a wider range of neurological and rehabilitative conditions apart from stroke. In 2019, BNSRC had 1,257 admissions and saw over 24,000 outpatients.
The comprehensive acute stroke services on offer include stroke thrombolysis and thrombectomy, neuro-intensive care, neurosurgical services and access to neuroradiology and multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation. The centre
offers treatment for other acute conditions such as meningitis, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome as well as chronic conditions such as headaches, migraine, epilepsy, myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Neurosurgical treatments on offer include spinal surgery, vascular disorders as well as treatment of brain and spinal tumours. Rehabilitative services include brain and spinal cord injury, amputee rehabilitation, cancer rehabilitation, women’s health and musculoskeletal and sports rehabilitation.
Opened in 2018, the Maxillofacial, Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Centre (MFPRSC) offers services in the field of maxillofacial, facial plastic, reconstructive surgery, and head and neck surgical oncology. It also offers outpatient care, surgical and laser treatments, craniomaxillofacial prosthetics and reconstructive implantology services.
With its C6 Medlite Laser, the centre offers treatment for face rejuvenation, pigmentation, tattoo removal and hair removal. Meanwhile, its VBeam Pulse Dyed Laser treats scars, angiomas, AV malformation and port wine stains.
The centre offers training courses such as the Advanced Training in Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery Trauma.
Other courses include the Advanced Diploma in Neuro/Plastic/Cranio-Maxillofacial/Microvascular Surgical Nursing and Diploma for Operation Theatre Assistants, Nursing Student Affiliation, and Training. Internships are also available for medical, dental and nursing students.
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