Brief History of SCPA

1946: Establishment of Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association

After the end of World War II, some local traditional Chinese medicine practitioners realized that in a large city like Singapore with a population of one million, there should be an organization to connect professionals in the field of traditional Chinese medicine and those engaged in promoting the development and research of Chinese medicine.

On August 18, 1946, TCM practitioners, including You Xingnan and Zeng Zhiyuan, gathered for the first preparatory meeting at the invitation of Wu Ruifu, a renowned Chinese physician from Xiamen residing in Singapore. The meeting was held at the Shanghang Clan Association’s clubhouse. There were 23 attendees on that day, including Wu Ruifu, You Xingnan, Zeng Zhiyuan, Chen Zhanwei, Zeng Hesheng, Chen Ruitang, Fang Zhanlun, Huang Shaoyu, Rao Shiquan, Xu Yingzhi, Zhong Huiwo, Deng Songru, Chen Qingyuan, Hong Weitang, Luo Xiaochuan, Guan Longfei, Liao Peiru, Huang Shaowen, Yang Yifeng, Chen Jianji, You Hongnan, Chen Xueqiao, and Huang Wencan. The meeting passed a resolution to establish the ‘Singapore Chinese Medical Association’ and Wu Ruifu was elected as the chairman of the organising committee. The inaugural ceremony of the first board of directors took place on October 27.

In 1947, during the second general meeting, the Singapore Chinese Medical Association, in accordance with the regulations governing the names of Chinese medicine practitioner organizations issued in China at that time, changed its name to the ‘Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association. (SCPA)

1952: Establishment of Chung Hwa Medical Institution

After the end of World War II, the market was sluggish, poverty and illness were prevalent, and government hospitals were insufficient to meet the demand. SCPA deeply felt that it was the duty of TCM practitioners to alleviate hardship, aid the needy, and provide relief in times of disaster. Therefore, in 1952, they established the ‘Chung Hwa Clinic’, using the Chung Shan Association as its premises.

Two years later, SCPA Council unanimously agreed that there was a need for a permanent venue that could serve as a place for academic and medical activities for its members, fostering unity, understanding, and collaboration. Through the collective efforts of all directors and members, they successfully acquired a three-story building on Telok Ayer Street in 1956. This building became the association’s headquarters and the location for the Chung Hwa Clinic, renamed ‘Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution’. (SCHMI)

1953: Establishment of College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

When Singapore was a British colony, local Chinese was treated by TCM practitioners immigrated from China. After the British colonial government promulgated and implemented immigration restrictions, the number of TCM practitioners from China gradually decreased, and the number of TCM practitioners in Singapore and Malaysia gradually aged. The pioneers of SCPA were aware of the crisis due to the lack of successors in the trade.

In that era, charlatans were rampant, they took advantage of the people’s trust in TCM to swindle and deceive for their own ill-gotten gains. To impart TCM knowledge systematically and nurture a new generation of TCM physicians in Singapore and Malaysia, the SCPA began to organize and run a TCM College. Its objectives were to achieve systematically and openly teach TCM, cultivate TCM talents, and to undertake the task of training TCM successors in Singapore and Malaysia. In 1953, the SCPA founded the “Chinese Medicine College” (renamed as “Singapore College of Traditional Chinese Medicine SCTCM in 1976), with the teaching ideology “Chinese medicine as the mainstay, Western medicine as a complement”, and the school motto was “Vigilant, Brave, Upright and Diligence”. It was a 4-year course then.

1959: Establishment of The Chung Hwa Medical Research Institute

In the council meeting held on 20 Sep 1959, SCPA passed the resolution of setting up ‘The Chung Hwa Medical Research Institute’.