These former pavilion wards were the main buildings of Tan Tock Seng Hospital when it first moved to its present location in 1909. Also known as Nightingale wards (after Florence Nightingale, a British nurse who invented this design in the 1850s), these wards feature a long, central aisle, high ceilings as well as good lighting and ventilation – features which improved patient recovery and reduced death rates from diseases such as tuberculosis and dysentery.
The pavilion wards occupied much of the area around Jalan Tan Tock Seng and Akyab Road. Today, the wards along Akyab Road have been redeveloped and the only surviving row, known as the upper pavilion wards, remains at the far end of Jalan Tan Tock Seng.
Other Suggested Short Trail Routes
- Historical Landmarks of Balestier, 1.7km: 45 min; on foot
- Building Balestier, 3km (4km including optional sites): 2 hours; on foot (2 hours including optional sides)
- Faith, Film and Food, 2.3km: 1 hour 30 min; on foot
