When was the Sleep Lab started? If possible, Please do share a picture of Sleep lab when it started?
Basic research in sleep medicine started way back in the 1970s with makeshift equipment in the thenNorris Block in Singapore General Hospital. In 1987, a dedicated sleep laboratory was established in ward 46. There was a need to start a Sleep Medicine service to manage patients presenting with sleep disorders in Singapore. That was the time when Sleep Medicine started to gain more prominence in the international arena. Our sleep laboratory expanded and was moved to the current site at ward 54 in 1998.
The sleep laboratory in Singapore General Hospital has 6 beds for Level 1 sleep studies currently.
These diagnostic studies are done in the Sleep Disorders Unit, they are: Overnight Sleep study, Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), Maintenance Wakefulness Test (MWT), Overnight Sleep Study with CPAP Titration/ BIPAP Titration and Split Night Study
Yes, the sleep laboratory is accredited by the NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia).
(http://www.nata.com.au/nata/)
The accreditation was obtained in 2008 by the then accreditation body (The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand – TSANZ) and our laboratory was subsequently reaccredited in 2014 by the current accreditation body (NATA). It took us more than a year to prepare during the initial accreditation and a year to prepare before the reaccreditation.
We can conduct up to 3 CPAP/BIPAP titrations in a night. We are currently using the ResMed TX titration system.
We conduct sleep symposium on a regular basis (yearly). We also welcome doctors and technicians to be attached at the sleep laboratory for attachment or exchange programs. A fellowship program is available for doctors who can spend at least 6 months with us.
We have 10 sleep technicians at our sleep laboratory who are on rotating day and night shifts. Day shifts starts at 0830 and ends at 1730 and night shifts starts at 1900/2000 and ends at 0700/0800.
More than 1000 Level 1 sleep studies, which include MSLT and MWT were conducted last year. Close to 100 Level 3 sleep studies were also performed in 2015.
The Sleep Laboratory is situated at
Singapore General Hospital
Blk 5 Level 4, Outram Road
Singapore 169608
Contact Number: (+65)63266202
E-mail: gnrsdu@sgh.com.sg
Website: www.sgh.com.sg
From left to right (front row): A/Prof Pavanni Ratnagopal, Dr Shahul Hameed, A/Prof K. Puvandenra, Dr Toh Song Tar (Director of SDU), Dr Ong Thun How, Dr Tan Keng Leong, Dr Leow Leong Chai, A/Prof Ng Beng Yeong
From left to right (back row): Mr Raymund Turqueza, Dr Lim Li Ling, Ms Kinjal Doshi, Ms Ethel Sheela, Ms Hemalatha Satharasinghe, Ms Siti Nur Zakiah, Ms Tan Xiu Juan, Ms Siti Raudha (Manager of SDU), Ms Jade Tay, Ms Song Peirong, Ms Nur Izzianie, Mr Kevin Beck
