# First General Hospital opens for the garrison (1821)

URL: https://allhistories.com/singapore/timeline/1821-first-general-hospital-opens-for-the-garrison
Location: Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Themes: main-event

In 1821 the first General Hospital was set up in the cantonment for British troops, near the Singapore River. It was a modest facility serving the garrison of a very young settlement. It is regarded as the origin of Singapore General Hospital, today the country's largest and oldest hospital and its national referral centre. The hospital moved several times as the town grew, first to Pearl Banks, then to Kandang Kerbau, and in 1882 to Sepoy Lines along Outram Road, where it remains. Population growth, from about 5,000 in 1821 to many times that within decades, and recurrent epidemics made reliable medical provision a growing public concern. By 1926 new blocks provided 800 beds, and the Bowyer Block with its clock tower survives as the SGH Museum. After independence the hospital was rebuilt in 1981 and became a not-for-profit institution in 1989. Its long history illustrates how a garrison facility gradually became a public health institution for the whole population. At this point in the timeline (1821), William Farquhar (1819 – 1823) served as Resident and Commandant of Singapore for the British East India Company, in a settlement founded in 1819 under agreements with Sultan Hussein Shah and the Temenggong Abdul Rahman.

## Why it matters
Singapore General Hospital's roots in 1821 show the colony's early attention to health, and its continuous history links the garrison town to the modern health system.

Ruler at the Time: [William Farquhar](https://allhistories.com/singapore/rulers/william-farquhar)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Singapore General Hospital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_General_Hospital)
- [Wikipedia — History of Singapore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Singapore)