SINGAPORE: The rich history of the former medical hostel at 11 Mandalay Road has been documented in a book. <\/p>\n
The building, which boasts of Palladian-style architecture, now stands as the headquarters of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine - a joint medical school by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Imperial College London. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
At the book launch on Monday (Dec 15), NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson said the commemorative book aims to provide a fitting tribute to Singapore's heritage and history. <\/p>\n
Prof Andersson added: \"This house is not so well-known in Singapore but it's the same calibre as the Istana, the Raffles Hotel; it has the same type of architecture. It housed many of the senior doctors and nurses in Singapore. <\/p>\n
\"This is where the people who studied healthcare - doctors or nurses - lived until the end of the 1990s. I think that is part of the important history in the healthcare of Singapore and, as I said, this now becomes the new headquarters for the new medical school. I think it is very symbolic. This book is a good present to Singapore for its upcoming 50 years.\" <\/p>\n
The book details the building's transformation through the past 90 years, as told by the personal stories of its former occupants. It also features about 100 photographs, including rare photographs from the late 1940sdepicting students at the hostel. <\/p>\n
Mdm Wong Mee Yee, a former hostel resident, said: \"I was a home staff here, looking after the nurses, and I stayed here for a couple of years. I was very happy and I had a big family and we celebrated each other's birthday in the hostel.\" <\/p>\n
The building was first constructed in 1924 as the Straits Settlements Mandalay Road Hostel for senior medical students. Apart from a brief hiatus during a World War 2, the hostel was used by medical students for three decades, becoming part of the University of Malaya during the latter years. <\/p>\n
The building - adjacent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in the Moulmein area - was left vacant for 11 years, before it was selected as a site for NTU's new medical school in 2010. Restoration works began in 2012. <\/p>\n
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History of former medical hostel at Mandalay Road documented in new book<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SINGAPORE: The rich history of the former medical hostel at 11 Mandalay Road has been documented in a book. The building, which boasts of Palladian-style architecture, now stands as the headquarters of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine - a joint medical school by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Imperial College London. Continue reading