Welcome to the Department of Anaesthesia at the National University of Singapore, established in 1985. Our department is committed to delivering exceptional anaesthesia, acute and chronic pain services, and critical care in the surgical intensive care unit.

As part of the National University Health System (NUHS), Singapore’s first academic medical centre, we collaborate closely with the clinical departments at National University Hospital (NUH), Alexandra Hospital (AH), Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), and the future Tengah General and Community Hospital (TGCH). We also maintain strong partnerships with various NUS departments, including the Centre for Healthy Longevity, Centre for Sustainable Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies.

Our department plays a pivotal role in educating future medical professionals. Our undergraduate teaching consistently ranks among the best in the medical school, with our department and individual staff receiving Teaching Excellence awards for many consecutive years. During the fourth year of the 5-year undergraduate medical school curriculum, students undergo a comprehensive two-week anaesthesia posting. The curriculum covers the entire perioperative period, from pre-operative evaluation and optimisation to post-operative pain management and critical care. Students are systematically taught the fundamentals of airway management and resuscitation through theory sessions, simulator training, and hands-on experience in the operating theatre. This comprehensive approach ensures that future doctors are well-prepared to handle general crisis scenarios in the general ward and community. Additionally, the practice of anaesthesia is introduced, linking it to the principles of physiology and pharmacology, and bringing this knowledge to life, equipping junior doctors with skills to manage peri-operative patients.

Patient Safety modules have also been added into the various phases of the undergraduate curriculum to align with the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) of the new curriculum. Through these integrated modules, we emphasise the importance of building a strong safety net to counter the Swiss cheese effect of medical error.

Beyond the core anaesthesia programme, we also engage in teaching activities across the other phases including professionalism, communication skills and basic sciences collaborative learning cases (CLC). Elective attachments are available for local and foreign undergraduates seeking further exposure.

Recognising the importance of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) as a critical skill, we are addressing the gap in POCUS competency among clinicians. We embrace innovative educational tools like POCUS and Virtual Reality to enhance the learning and retention of anatomy for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. We also conduct regular Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) accredited POCUS workshops open to the public.

We have a strong track record of mentoring medical students in research, leading to successful international abstract presentations and publications. While we continue to excel in cardiac anaesthesia and intensive care research, our focus has expanded to include healthy longevity and brain health, aiming to mitigate the impact of surgery and anaesthesia on vulnerable brains. Our clinical research team, led by A/Prof Ti Lian Kah and A/Prof. Will Loh, has guided medical students and junior doctors in their research endeavours, earning numerous local and international accolades.

Our flagship project, the Sing-PAS study, launched in 2021, aims to provide critical diagnostic, mechanistic, and prognostic insights to improve outcomes for elderly patients undergoing major surgery. In 2024, A/P Ti Lian Kah was awarded the Wellcome Leap Dynamic Resilience Program grant to investigate the impact of Alpha Ketoglutarate (AKG) as a Geroprotector in reducing morbidity and improving patient-centred outcomes after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery.

Looking ahead, we are committed to advancing anaesthesia education by continually innovating while building on our strong foundation. We are attuned to global challenges such as climate change and healthcare inequality and are prepared to adapt and rise to meet them. Dr Poh Pei Kee holds a joint appointment as Clinical Adjunct at the Centre of Sustainable Medicine at NUSMed, championing the Green initiative. Under his leadership, we are committed to reduce the carbon footprint of our department as a primary goal, and influence the decarbonisation of healthcare as our wider goal.

We have achieved a more than 90% reduction in the use of desflurane, reduced the amount of nitrous oxide lost through pipeline leaks by shutting off long-manifold pipelines, and instituted PVC recycling of fluid bags. A project is underway to recycle all plastics and composite plastics into Newbitumen, which is used to resurface roads. Moving forward, we are looking to increase our capability in life cycle analysis and influence the wider hospital and national communities. Our research will also continue to focus on issues that are important to our country and patients, leveraging our unique position in providing world-class healthcare in an Asian context.

We appreciate your interest in our department and invite you to contact us for more information.