Tengah Polyclinic opens, first under National University Polyclinics with added lactation services

With more young families in Tengah, the polyclinic has a service run by a specialised nurse, known as a lactation consultant, to help breastfeeding mothers resolve complex lactation issues.

NUP started a lactation support service in 2021 where nurses help patients with simple lactation issues like mild engorgement and incorrect latching, but lactation consultants were typically based only in the hospitals.

Senior staff nurse Nurhanesah A. Rahman, the lactation consultant at Tengah Polyclinic, said some new mothers find it tedious to travel to a hospital with a newborn and may give up on breastfeeding altogether.

“That’s why we (decided to) bring this service into the clinic, so we can at least offer our help in a more timely and convenient way.”

She said breastfeeding is encouraged as it helps infants receive essential nutrients and antibodies, and promotes the growth of their immune system.

All eight polyclinics under NUP – which covers western Singapore, including areas like Bukit Panjang and Queenstown – will offer the lactation consultant service by end-2026.

Each session with a lactation consultant costs $58.80 for Singaporeans, $68 for permanent residents and $80 for non-residents. It typically lasts from 40 minutes to an hour.

Ms Nurulhana Mohmed Ishak, 35, doubted herself while breastfeeding her youngest son, Caydrian, as she had forgotten proper latching techniques in the decade since she had last given birth.

Her two older sons are 14 and 10 years old, while Caydrian was born in November 2025.

She was referred to a lactation consultant at National University Hospital, but cancelled the appointment as it was too far from her Bukit Panjang home.

When Bukit Panjang Polyclinic began running a pilot lactation consultant service, Ms Nurulhana learnt from Ms Nurhanesah – who was working at that polyclinic during the pilot service – the correct postures of breastfeeding, among other things.

The polyclinic is within walking distance of her home.

“I can just push a stroller rather than (get the baby into) a car seat on a Grab ride, so I don’t need any help from my family members,” said Ms Nurulhana.

In the area of preventive care, Tengah Polyclinic will introduce NUHSConnect, aimed at residents aged 40 and above.

Under the initiative, trained health ambassadors will link residents to programmes such as rhythmic stretching exercises, handicraft classes and health talks within the polyclinic and neighbourhood.

Dr Beh Chun Yen, head of Tengah Polyclinic, said: “The opening of Tengah Polyclinic has been highly anticipated by the community. We hope the polyclinic evolves to be Tengah’s trusted hub for proactive health and well-being.”

The polyclinic will also have NUP’s first multi-level pharmacy with an automated conveyor system, as opposed to conventional single-level pharmacies. Staff prepare baskets of packed medication on level three and send them down a vertical conveyor shaft to dispensing counters on levels one and two, where patients collect their medication.

NUP’s assistant manager of service and operations Koh Xin Yi said the new model frees up space for direct patient care and enhances efficiency by reducing staff movement across floors.

Madam Jessica Goh, 35, a resident of Parc Clover@Tengah, went to the new polyclinic – about a 10-minute walk from her home – on Feb 28 with her mother, husband and six-year-old twin daughters.

Her husband, who works as a chef, needed to change the dressing for a wound on his finger, while her mother had to collect medication for high blood pressure.

Previously, the family would visit Bukit Batok Polyclinic, which is about 15 minutes away by bus.

Madam Goh, a pre-school teacher, said: “Tengah Polyclinic is new and there won’t be so many people, so we don’t have to wait long.”