If you are going into hospital from Punggol, Sengkang General Hospital is the nearest public acute hospital. Before a planned stay or surgery, check your estimated bill in the Health Buddy app (moving to HealthHub), watch for the admission SMS one working day before, and arrange a ride home.
A hospital stay is easier when the paperwork and packing are sorted before the day. A little preparation leaves you free to focus on getting well.
This page is part of eduKate Punggol’s When You Need Help in Punggol, our practical guides for life’s occasions, big and small. It covers going into hospital for a planned admission or surgery, using Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) as the worked example: the pre-surgery clinic, what to bring, the bill and deposit, visiting, leave and the trip home. Other hospitals’ processes differ, so check with yours.
Quick answer
- Before surgery: you may be asked to attend SKH’s Pre-operative Evaluation Clinic, where you get instructions on medicines and fasting.
- One working day before: SKH sends an SMS one working day before admission with the time and place to report.
- Bring: your original ID, your current medicines (including traditional remedies), non-slip slippers and toiletries. Leave valuables at home.
- Costs: check the estimate in Health Buddy and pay any deposit there. A Letter of Guarantee from an employer or insurer may reduce or waive the deposit.
- Getting home: no driving for about 24 hours after surgery. Under 21? A parent or guardian must come with you.
- Leave: day surgery counts as hospitalisation leave. Tell your employer within 48 hours.
Going into Hospital: How to Prepare
- Attend the pre-surgery check if asked. SKH’s Pre-operative Evaluation Clinic (PEC) is at SKH Medical Centre, Level 3. Staff assess the risks of anaesthesia and surgery, and may order blood tests, an ECG or a chest X-ray. Tell them about any past problems with anaesthesia in you or your family, and bring reports, X-rays and medicines from other hospitals or clinics.
- Follow your own fasting and medicine instructions. The PEC tells you which medicines to stop or continue, and when to stop eating and drinking. SKH does not publish fasting hours, so go by what you are told.
- Declare everything you take. SKH asks you to mention blood thinners and supplements, including traditional remedies such as cordyceps, ginkgo biloba and lingzhi, which “may interact with surgical drugs”. Avoid smoking before surgery.
- Check your estimated bill. Use the Health Buddy app (moving to HealthHub) to see the estimate, your MediSave, MediShield Life and Integrated Shield Plan coverage, and the cash payable.
- Arrange your escort. A family member or friend should take you home. If you are under 21, a parent or guardian must accompany you.
- Watch for the SMS. It arrives one working day before admission, not counting weekends, and tells you when and where to report.
- Feeling unwell before the day? Call the PEC on +65 6930 6001 as soon as possible to reschedule.
Where to Go and Who to Call at SKH
| Who | Where and contact | Hours | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKH Admissions Office | Level 2, Lobby B, Sengkang General Hospital, 110 Sengkang East Way, Singapore 544886. Tel +65 6930 6001. | Admissions enquiries, weekdays 8.30am–5.30pm. Closed weekends and public holidays. | Admission questions, ward type and payment. |
| SKH Pre-operative Evaluation Clinic | SKH Medical Centre, Level 3. Tel +65 6930 6001. | Not stated; call to ask | Pre-surgery checks, fasting and medicine instructions, rescheduling if unwell. |
| SKH Medical Social Workers | SKH Medical Centre, Level 3. Tel +65 6930 6000. | Call to arrange | Confidential help if you are worried about paying. |
| Surgery units on the day | Surgery on 2 (Day Surgery and Short Stay Ward) 6930 3724; Surgery on 2 (Interventional Radiology) 6930 3958; Surgery on 3, 6930 3829 | On the day | Telling your unit you are unwell or delayed. |
| SKH general enquiries | 6930 5000 | 24 hours | Anything else. |
| Getting there | Sengkang MRT (NE16) Exit D, about 400m. Cheng Lim LRT (SW1) Exit B, via the link bridge. | — | Public transport from Punggol. |
Checked October 2026 — confirm on the official page before you go: SKH admissions, SKH before surgery and SKH visiting.
Choosing between SKH, CGH and other hospitals? Our nearest hospitals guide compares them.
Which Situation Fits You
Day surgery or a short stay
SKH asks Day Surgery, Same Day Admission and Short Stay Ward patients to report between 1pm and 3pm, at the place given in the SMS. For about 24 hours after surgery, SKH says do not drive or ride any vehicle, including bicycles and PMDs, operate machines, exercise, drink alcohol, take sedatives, make important decisions or sign legal documents.
A planned inpatient stay
Inpatients report between 11.30am and 1pm. You register where the SMS says, staff confirm your ward type and payment method, and you receive a wristband. SKH says ward-type costs shown in Health Buddy are subject to availability on the day.
You use a mobility aid
SKH allows wheelchairs, including motorised ones, in the wards. Personal mobility aids such as mobility scooters are not allowed in wards or the Emergency Department.
An older parent is being admitted
Pack every medicine they take, including traditional remedies, and a case for spectacles or dentures, which may need to come out before surgery. For the trip home and the weeks after, see our guide to bringing a parent home from hospital.
You are worried about the bill
SKH says Singaporeans can make an appointment with its medical social workers on +65 6930 6000, and “Your request will be kept strictly confidential.” The help depends on the bill and your household finances.
What to Bring, Costs, Leave and Visiting
Documents (originals): your NRIC, passport, work permit or pass; a Civil Service Card or other benefit card; the Data Sharing Consent form; the Medical Claims Authorisation Form and the MediSave account holder’s NRIC; a Letter of Guarantee from your employer or insurer; and your deposit, where these apply.
To pack: current medicines, including over-the-counter and traditional ones; non-slip slippers; toiletries; and a case for spectacles, contact lenses or dentures. SKH recommends bringing “only essential items”, and leaving valuables, jewellery and large amounts of cash at home.
- Estimate and deposit: SKH’s financial counsellors give an estimated cost, and Health Buddy shows the breakdown and lets you pay the deposit. A deposit may be needed on admission; a Letter of Guarantee may let SKH accept a partial deposit or waive it. The SKH pages we checked do not give deposit amounts, so check your estimate. Our healthcare costs guide explains MediSave, MediShield Life and MediFund.
- Hospitalisation leave: MOM says employees under the Employment Act with at least 3 months’ service get paid hospitalisation leave, rising to 60 days from 6 months’ service. The 60 days include the 14 days of outpatient sick leave. Being warded, day surgery, certified bed rest and recovery after discharge all count. Tell your employer within 48 hours and hand in the MC on your return.
- Visiting at SKH: 8am–9pm daily, including public holidays, with two visitors at the bedside at a time. Children under 12 are not allowed, except with a signed indemnity form. Visitors register with photo ID, wear their own mask, and may not eat or drink in the wards.
- Discharge: discharge time is 11.30am. SKH charges half a day’s room fee after 11.30am, and a full day after 5pm.
Neighbour’s Tips
- No SMS one working day before? Call SKH Admissions on +65 6930 6001 (weekdays 8.30am–5.30pm).
- Put all your medicines in one bag, supplements and herbal remedies included, and take the whole bag in.
- Line up your ride home before the day. You cannot drive for about 24 hours after surgery.
- Check the estimate in Health Buddy before you go, and pay any deposit there.
- Ask HR for a Letter of Guarantee if your employer’s insurance covers you; it may reduce the deposit.
- Plan visits around the children. Under-12s cannot visit the ward without an indemnity form, so line up childcare for visiting times.
- Keep your discharge papers. SKH sends a DigiMC by SMS; save it with your discharge summary.
If It’s Urgent or Gets Worse
After surgery or discharge, call 995 for anything life-threatening. AIC’s discharge checklist says simply: “If you are unsure, please call 995 for an ambulance.” For other worries, follow the hospital’s instructions, or call NurseFirst on 6262 6262 from 8am to 11pm.
Be alert to scams. SKH says it “will NEVER ask you to transfer money over a call”. If in doubt, call the ScamShield helpline on 1799. For non-emergency transfers, the 1777 ambulance line works only until 31 December 2026, as MOH says it ceases from 1 January 2027; our 995 and 1777 guide explains the alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long must I fast before surgery?
Follow the instructions the hospital gives you. SKH does not publish fasting hours; its PEC tells each patient individually.
How much is the hospital deposit?
The SKH pages we checked do not give amounts. Check your estimate in Health Buddy, and ask about a Letter of Guarantee if your employer or insurer provides one.
Can I drive home after day surgery?
No. SKH says not to drive or ride any vehicle for about 24 hours after surgery. Arrange for someone to take you home.
Does day surgery count as hospitalisation leave?
Yes. MOM counts day surgery as hospitalisation leave, provided the MC comes from a doctor who can admit patients to hospital.
Can my children visit me in hospital?
At SKH, children under 12 are not allowed in the wards except with a signed indemnity form.
What time will I be discharged?
SKH’s discharge time is 11.30am. Staying past it adds a half-day room charge, and past 5pm a full day.
More Help on eduKate Punggol
- Nearest hospitals to Punggol: SKH, KKH and CGH.
- Healthcare costs in Punggol: CHAS, MediSave, MediShield Life and MediFund.
- Home nursing, home care and medical escorts
- Bringing a parent home from hospital: discharge, equipment and help.
- Sick leave and family leave in Punggol
- Official: SKH admission day · SKH bill estimate · MOM sick leave
Wishing You a Smooth Recovery
Pack the bag, sort the paperwork, line up the lift home, and let the people around you help. Then give yourself time to rest.
And if your family is also looking for calm, small-group English, Mathematics or Science, eduKate Punggol teaches classes of three in Punggol. Come find out more: Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp
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Checked October 2026. Addresses, opening hours, fees and rules change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.
