Perennial Holdings Private Limited ("Perennial Holdings") marked a major milestone today with the official opening of the medical cluster, comprising three hospitals with a total of 1,000 beds, within the Perennial Tianjin South High Speed Railway ("HSR") International Healthcare and Business City ("PIHBC Tianjin") in Xiqing district, Tianjin, China. The three hospitals, built and equipped at a total investment cost of RMB2 billion, comprise China's first wholly foreign-owned private tertiary general hospital, a rehabilitation hospital and a specialist brain hospital. PIHBC Tianjin, China's first-of-its-kind large-scale HSR transit-oriented development adjacent to the Tianjin South HSR Station, also incorporates eldercare and hospitality components.

Perennial Tianjin Medical Cluster

The celebratory event also witnessed the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding ("MOUs"). The first was with SingHealth, Singapore's largest public healthcare group, to mutually advance clinical training, research and medical information technology ("IT") innovation via PIHBC Tianjin's medical and eldercare clusters to elevate standards of excellence in patient-centred care. The second was with the Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine ("TCM") ("Tianjin Academy of TCM"), one of China's top national TCM research academies, to integrate its TCM expertise and practice across PIHBC Tianjin's medical and eldercare clusters, and to facilitate the establishment of an overseas Tianjin-Singapore branch at Perennial Holdings' property in Singapore.

Perennial General Hospital Tianjin - Outpatient Area

These milestones were witnessed by guests-of-honour Mr Peter Tan, Singapore's ambassador to the People's Republic of China, Mr Yap Cheng Boon, director (North & West China), Enterprise Singapore, government officials from Tianjin Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Drug Administration, Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Xiqing district government, Professor Ng Wai Hoe, group chief executive officer of SingHealth, who joined online, Mr Zhao Qiang, president of the Tianjin Academy of TCM, business partners from the medical and healthcare industries and the media.

Perennial General Hospital Tianjin - VIP Ward

The hospitals within the medical cluster, all featuring state-of-the-art equipment and staffed with highly qualified multi-disciplinary professionals, provide a convenient one-stop integrated medical hub concept focused on patient-centered care. The hospitals include Perennial General Hospital Tianjin, a 500-bed hospital offering comprehensive medical disciplines, Perennial Rehabilitation Hospital, a 200-bed hospital for post-surgery recovery and rehabilitation and a 300-bed Eber Perennial Brain Hospital specialising in neurological surgeries. Together with the 299-bed Perennial Nursing Hospital at the eldercare component, the hospitals are well-positioned to provide quality care to the seniors residing in the over 1,500-bed eldercare homes and assisted living apartments, and the community in Xiqing district and the wider Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

MOUs with SingHealth and Tianjin Academy of TCM

Perennial General Hospital Tianjin Single Ward

With the establishment of Perennial General Hospital Tianjin as the first wholly foreign-owned private tertiary general hospital and our earlier commitment to foster local-foreign hospital collaboration to elevate the standards of private medical care, Perennial Holdings entered into a strategic partnership with SingHealth to bring diverse medical professionals and expertise to Tianjin. The MOU will see SingHealth provide training for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals across PIHBC Tianjin's four hospitals, eldercare homes and assisted living apartments. The training is expected to span diverse specialties, including cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology and geriatric care. PIHBC Tianjin's multi-disciplinary healthcare team will also have the opportunity to attend training at SingHealth's extensive network of acute hospitals, national specialty centres, community hospitals and polyclinics in Singapore. Healthcare professionals from SingHealth will also gain insights into PIHBC Tianjin's unique integrated model of medical and eldercare, implementation of technology to enhance patient outcomes and work with experts across various fields such as geriatrics, rehabilitation and dementia. There are also plans to explore joint research and development projects and jointly organise conferences, courses and education programmes.

Perennial Rehabilitation Hospital Tianjin - 24-seater Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber

In support of China's plan to add TCM to its Belt and Road Initiative ("BRI") and build overseas TCM centres, Perennial Holdings established a strategic partnership with Tianjin Academy of TCM to develop and integrate TCM across the medical and eldercare clusters of PIHBC Tianjin and in Singapore, elevating holistic care for patients in both regions. The two parties will jointly enhance application of TCM techniques, expertise and culture, leveraging Tianjin Academy of TCM's bench strength of talents and deep expertise in TCM medicine and technology. The partnership will also tap on Perennial Holdings' stronghold in its home ground to build the academy's Singapore flagship TCM centre, which will serve as a gateway to expand the reach and integration of TCM across Southeast Asia, a region within the BRI.

Perennial Rehabilitation Hospital Tianjin 

Mr Pua Seck Guan, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Perennial Holdings, said, "Today marks a significant milestone as we officially open three hospitals in Tianjin, including the first wholly foreign-owned private tertiary general hospital in China. We thank the Chinese government for their strong support which has been key to our journey thus far. Our two MOUs announced today will further elevate patient-centred care across our precinct in Tianjin, ultimately uplifting the international standing of China's medical industry, while also replicating our integrated care model, coupled with TCM expertise, in Singapore."

Perennial Rehabilitation Hospital Tianjin

Mr Pua added, "We are honoured to partner SingHealth, a cornerstone of Singapore's world-class healthcare system, in the areas of clinical training, research and IT innovation across our hospitals and senior housing at PIHBC Tianjin. The collaboration also provides an excellent platform for SingHealth's multidisciplinary teams to exchange knowledge and expertise with experienced local healthcare practitioners, and gain a deeper understanding of our unique model integrating medical and eldercare at our pioneering HSR TOD in China. This is also part of our effort to elevate the standards of private medical care in Tianjin, with the aim to drive growth of Tianjin's medical tourism sector over time."

Perennial Tianjin Medical Cluster - Clinical and Laboratory Services

Mr Pua further added, "Similarly, our partnership with Tianjin Academy of TCM, which is a pioneering national standardised training base for TCM resident doctors, will bring deep TCM expertise to PIHBC Tianjin's medical and eldercare clusters, building on our holistic capabilities. Our partnership will also support the academy's vision to extend the reach of TCM, starting with Singapore to across Southeast Asia, in line with the government's plan to propagate TCM culture, techniques and expertise under the BRI."

Perennial Tianjin Medical Cluster - Consultation Room

Professor Ng Wai Hoe, group chief executive officer of SingHealth, said, "We are privileged to partner Perennial Holdings to forge meaningful partnerships with the healthcare professionals in Tianjin through knowledge exchange to push the frontiers of medicine. Through collaborations in research, innovation and patient care in diverse specialties and across different professional domains, I am confident that we will synergise efforts to elevate the standards of healthcare in Tianjin and Singapore and improve the delivery of care for patients in both regions."

Perennial Tianjin Medical Cluster - Operating Theatre

Mr Zhao Qiang, president of the Tianjin Academy of TCM, said, "This collaboration will not only foster the adoption and advancement of TCM in Singapore by delivering more accessible, professional, and efficient services, but also drive the growth and culture of TCM, while simultaneously opening doors for the Tianjin TCM industry to extend its global reach and brand recognition."