CGH, SGH, NUH lauded as AI innovation leaders in ranking of world’s best smart hospitals

22 Oct 2026 | The Straits Times

At 17th, Changi General Hospital was the highest-placed Singapore hospital in Newsweek’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2027. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

SINGAPORE – Three Singapore hospitals have been named as leaders in AI innovation, in a ranking featuring more than 400 healthcare institutions across 33 countries.

The three – Changi General Hospital (CGH), Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and National University Hospital (NUH) – were among those awarded the Leader in Artificial Intelligence Innovation distinction in Newsweek magazine’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2027, published in partnership with Statista on Oct 21.

The newly introduced Leader in AI Innovation distinction recognises hospitals that demonstrate excellence in the implementation, strategic adoption and responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Four local hospitals – Changi General Hospital (17th), Singapore General Hospital (20th), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (26th) and National University Hospital (32nd) – landed in the top 50 of Newsweek magazine’s annual ranking that spotlights hospitals leading digital transformation.

A total of 14 Singapore hospitals made the 2027 ranking, up from 11 in the previous edition.

Overall, the top three hospitals in the global ranking hailed from the US, while South Korea’s Samsung Medical Center secured fourth place.

In a Facebook post on Oct 22, CGH said its achievement reflects the hospital’s “commitment and passion in advancing care excellence” and “innovating healthcare for tomorrow”.

“Thank you for journeying with us and inspiring us to make a difference to better health for our community,” it added.

SGH, in a Facebook post on Oct 23, said that the ranking reflects its “continued commitment in embracing innovation, harnessing technology and finding smarter ways to deliver better, patient-centred care, without losing the personal touch”.

It added: “We are proud of the collective efforts of our colleagues and partners who continue to push boundaries and reimagine what is possible in healthcare.”

Tan Tock Seng Hospital also celebrated the milestone on social media on Oct 22, stating that the recognition reflects the dedication of its teams who work every day to harness technology “in service of better, safer, and more connected care for our patients”.

It said: “This is just the beginning.

“As we continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what smart healthcare can look like, we remain committed to excellent care, delivered with compassion to every patient who comes through our doors.”

Meanwhile, NUH expressed its commitment to harnessing technology and innovation to enhance care for its patients.

“We share this milestone with our partners and peers, and especially #TeamNUH, whose dedication continues to make incredible care possible every day,” it wrote in a Facebook post on Oct 22.

Sengkang General Hospital, which came in 208th, said in a Facebook post on Oct 22 that it was encouraged by the ranking, given that it is one of Singapore’s newer hospitals.

It said: “As a hospital that is just seven years old, we are encouraged by this recognition, which reflects the collective efforts of our staff and partners to continually improve care through innovation, technology and new ways of working.

“Thank you to our staff, partners and patients for being part of this journey.”

Ranking evaluated across three pillars

The World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2027 “looks beyond the presence of individual technologies to consider how effectively hospitals are integrating digital innovation into clinical care and hospital operations”, Newsweek said on its website.

For patients and healthcare professionals, technology is increasingly becoming part of what defines a modern hospital, Newsweek said.

AI, robotics, telemedicine and advanced data analytics are changing how clinicians diagnose and treat patients, how care is coordinated and how hospitals operate, Newsweek added.

“For prospective patients, these capabilities can offer insight into a hospital’s approach to delivering more connected, efficient and personalised care,” Newsweek said. “For healthcare professionals, they can signal an institution’s commitment to innovation and the future of medicine.”

The ranking model evaluates hospitals across three pillars, with the first being an international online survey. In this survey, hospital managers and healthcare professionals with expertise about smart hospitals were asked to recommend leading smart hospitals across the globe.

The second pillar is the Statista Smart Hospitals Digital Maturity Survey. In this survey, the implementation and usage of digital technologies in the hospital was assessed and validated by chief digital/information officers or other members of senior management with responsibility for digital transformation.

Third, the scoring model also included several national and international accreditations that related to the concept of smart hospitals. Reputation score (67.5%) was given the most weight in the scoring model, followed by the Statista Smart Hospitals Digital Maturity Survey (30%) and Digital Healthcare-Related Accreditations and Certifications (2.5%).