Goh Keng Swee Hospital
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Mar 10, 2011 - ST Forum
What's in a public name? A lot
NAMING a public institution after an individual is one of the highest tributes a nation can offer. So, it seems inappropriate for a public-funded hospital to be named after its largest donor ('Family of Ng Teng Fong gives $125m to hospital'; last Saturday).
Singapore has maintained a tradition of naming public institutions and important landmarks after those who have made sterling contributions or great sacrifices for the country.
For example, pioneer philanthropists Tan Tock Seng and Tan Kah Kee, former president Benjamin Sheares and former health minister Ahmad Ibrahim.
The impact of their contributions has been widely felt in Singapore. Naming important institutions and landmarks after them not only shows the nation's gratitude for their services, but also serves to inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps.
The future Jurong General Hospital will cost the Government millions to build, and more public funds will be needed to operate it. So, naming it after its largest donor is inappropriate.
If the hospital were to be named after a deserving Singaporean, it should carry former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee's name.
As one of Singapore's founding fathers, Dr Goh's manifold contributions and unstinting selflessness in serving the country resonates with Singaporeans.
How can any Singaporean forget that it was Dr Goh who was instrumental in turning Jurong from a swamp into the nation's industrial heartland?
Naming the first major hospital there after Dr Goh would be a fitting tribute.
Andy Lim
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Good to name after someone who build Jurong Ind Estate rather than another rich man.
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I dont think pple would care what name the hospital has. Be it donkey or monkey name, what matters most is the cost of hospitalisation and the medical fees. The rest not important at all.
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Originally posted by likeyou:
I dont think pple would care what name the hospital has. Be it donkey or monkey name, what matters most is the cost of hospitalisation and the medical fees. The rest not important at all.
then if NTF run it as a free hospital then name after him lor.
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Yes...good idea....lol
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If I done alot to my country, maybe there's a stardust hospital.
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I do charity, should be :LikeYou General Hospital
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Originally posted by likeyou:
I do charity, should be :LikeYou General Hospital
haha lol -
Mar 11, 2011 - Straits Times
ST poll: 80% against name change of Jurong hospital
A MAJORITY of Straits Times readers who participated in an online poll felt that Jurong General Hospital should not have been renamed Ng Teng Fong Hospital after its biggest donor.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had announced in Parliament last Friday that Jurong General Hospital would be renamed Ng Teng Fong Hospital, after the family of the late property tycoon donated $125 million to the hospital.
Slated to open in 2014, the hospital is fully funded by the Government but private donations provide additional assistance to needy patients, among other services.
The name change prompted our reader Andy Lim to write in to The Straits Times Forum earlier this week, asking if it was appropriate to name a public hospital after its largest donor, and proposing that the hospital be renamed after the man credited with the transformation of Jurong - Dr Goh Keng Swee - instead.
Of the nearly 800 readers who responded to our online poll, 78.4 per cent agreed that Jurong General Hospital should not have been renamed after its biggest donor.
Here is a selection of the comments we received:
Non-supporters
'It would be more appropriate to have a wing/ward of the hospital named after Ng Teng Fong in recognition of his sizeable donation. The hospital itself should bear a different name - one that reflects Singapore's medical history.' - tanxyme
'We should be thankful that someone generously donated a large sum of money, but a plaque would do.' - Anonymous
'A hospital's name must instantly reflect its location. Imagine someone being taken by ambulance to Ng Teng Fong Hospital... would the family know where it is at?' - Samuel Tiew
'For public institutions, two characteristics need to be fulfilled. Besides the donation, the life and work of the individual must be consistent with the message and value of the institution. Money alone does not carry naming rights at this level. Chair of a professorship, yes. A public building, no.' - Anonymous
'Public institutions should be named after national figures and heroes, not just those with deep pockets. Dr Goh Keng Swee would be a good example of one such hero of the nation.' - Anonymous
'If one were to secure the land, build the hospital and then hand it over to the government as a donation, then it would be OK to name the hospital after the donor.' - Anonymous
'If you donate out of sincerity, you shouldn't want it to be named after you. You should let the public vote for a name.' - Chris Chan SC
' I don't find it wrong to name the hospital after him. $125m is a lot of money... Would you donate even a million just to have your name on a building?' - Olivia Sin Leow
Supporters
'I think it's fine. It's also part of Singapore history. 50 years down the road, people will remember him the way they remember Tan Kah Kee, Lim Boon Seng, etc. Better than Jurong. Zero meaning.' - Ivy Teo
'It's a way to remember the generosity of people who help in many different ways...' - Anonymous
'Mr Ng Teng Fong is the King of Orchard Road. Without his contributions, some parts of Orchard Road wouldn't be what it is today. He had the vision and foresight... and contributed much to developing Singapore's commercial, industrial and residential properties.' - Leona Wong
Others
'A name is just a name. What matters most is that it brings benefits to mankind.' - Right Eye Man
'We should make a list of the people (who made important contributions) from the birth of the nation till now, and come up with a list of criteria (for naming buildings after them).' - David N
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IMM Hospital will be a better name. Why? Its in front of IMM shopping mall.
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Originally posted by Junyang700:
IMM Hospital will be a better name. Why? Its in front of IMM shopping mall.
then Jurong East Hospital might be better.