Raffles Medical Group Celebrates 50 Years: From CBD Clinics to Pan-Asian Healthcare Giant

From two CBD clinics to a pan-Asian network, Raffles Medical Group celebrates its 50th anniversary with a heritage exhibition at Raffles Hospital.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 20, 2026, 6:07 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Straits Times

A Legacy Founded on a Handshake

The story of Raffles Medical Group began in 1976 when two young physicians, Dr. Loo Choon Yong and Dr. Alfred Loh, pooled $80,000 to acquire two small clinics in Singapore’s Central Business District. Formed just three years after their graduation, the partnership was famously sealed with a handshake in a local housing estate parking lot. Today, that modest venture has evolved into a publicly listed healthcare leader employing 2,900 staff and serving over 2.8 million patients across Singapore, China, Japan, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Commemorating Five Decades of Care

To celebrate its golden jubilee, the group has launched a year-long heritage exhibition titled “Caring across generations.” Located at the Raffles Hospital lobby, the display features three distinct zones detailing the organization’s milestones. Visitors can view personal keepsakes from the founders, including Dr. Loo’s original medical call bag used for ship and home visits in the late 1970s. The exhibition also showcases hand-drawn sketches that served as the architectural blueprint for the current flagship hospital, alongside protective gear used by staff during the SARS and COVID-19 outbreaks.

A Pillar of Public Health Support

The exhibition highlights the group’s deep integration into Singapore’s national health framework. Raffles Medical was the first private provider to collaborate with the Ministry of Health under the Emergency Care Collaboration (now the Acute and Critical Care scheme). Its role was particularly vital during the 2021 pandemic response, when it established the nation’s first mass vaccination center at Changi Airport Terminal 4 within four days. Over the course of the crisis, the group operated 15 centers and administered five million doses of vaccines.