● Two surgical blocks of SGH were transformed into SNEC, which saw its first patients in October.

● Internationally renowned eye surgeon Professor Arthur Lim (left) appointed as SNEC’s first medical director.

1991
● The SNEC was officially opened by Health Minister Yeo Cheow Tong.


1995
● SNEC started providing a full range of subspecialty eye care services including Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastic, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, and Refractive Surgery.

1996
● SNEC collaborated with major public hospitals such as Changi General Hospital and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to provide eye care services.

1997
● The Singapore Eye Research Institute (Seri) was officially incorporated as a wholly owned SNEC subsidiary.

1999
● Associate Professor Vivian Balakrishnan appointed as SNEC’s second medical director.

● During Prof Balakrishnan’s tenure, the $50 million 8-storey SNEC phase 2 was under construction with two floors of outpatient clinics, five new operating theatres and expanded day recovery suites, and two floors of Seri’s research clinics and laboratories.

2000
● The SNEC held the 1st National Eye Care Day with free eye screening services for the elderly. The event is now organised annually.

● Professor Ang Chong Lye (right) became SNEC’s third medical director.

2003
● The SNEC received the Excellence for Singapore Award for various breakthroughs such as conjunctival stem cell transplantation and laser refractive surgery advancements.

● Seri released encouraging findings from the Atropine in the Treatment of Myopia study on children. Atropine is now available as a treatment option for progressive myopia in children.



2004
● The SNEC and the National Dental Centre performed the complex Osteo-Odonto Keratoprosthesis (OOKP), known as “Tooth-in-Eye” surgery, believed to be the first in South-east Asia, and aimed at helping those blinded by end-stage cornea disease.

2006
● SNEC and Seri scientists became the first in the world to discover the SLCA411 gene that causes congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy, a severe form of blindness affecting children.

● The SNEC partnered Japan’s Asahikawa Medical College, Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University and Panasonic systems to transmit 3-dimensional highdefinition (3D-HD) telemedicine classes in three countries simultaneously to teach ophthalmology.

● Eye doctors established strong link between a potentially blinding fungal infection with a multipurpose contact lens solution that led to a worldwide recall of the product. The team later received the inaugural Minister for Health Award.

2007
An SNEC satellite clinic commenced services at Balestier to enhance accessibility to patients.

2008
● Prof Donald Tan (right) succeeded Prof Ang Chong Lye as SNEC’s fourth medical director in May.

● SNEC made available the Kamra corneal inlay — which underwent a decade of worldwide clinical research and trials — as a treatment option for presbyopia.

● Singapore produced the highest number of eye research publications per capita in the world, with more than 90 per cent contributed by Seri.

2009
● Tan EndoglideTM endothelium insertion system for corneal transplantation, a patented device, was named after Prof Donald Tan who designed it with his team.

● Prof Donald Tan, Prof Roger Beuerman and Associate Prof Aung Tin received the prestigious President’s Science Award for their contributions in translational, clinical and epidemiological corneal research, and for pioneering novel surgical therapies.

● SNEC attained Joint Commission International accreditation, an international mark of quality in patient care and safety, and organisation management.

2010
SNEC now receives 280,000 outpatient visits and performs nearly 26,000 major eye surgeries and laser procedures annually.