Where to Buy Hospital Gowns in Singapore
Admittedly, hospital gowns aren’t the trendiest garments to talk about. The old-school, butt-baring gowns have been the subject of many redesigns over the past few decades.
Get your patient gown in Singapore today.
Yet each revamp doesn’t seem to have had enough institutional support to last. Most hospitals still use the traditional tie-in-the-back design, owing to the higher costs of the redesigned johnnies and the lack of convenience and functionality for healthcare personnel.
But perhaps that’s changing. Patient satisfaction scores contribute to the likelihood of a patient choosing your hospital, after all. Being stripped of your dignity in an airy, butt-revealing gown doesn’t exactly create a positive experience with healthcare institutions.
Heck, done well, some of your patients may even take home their gowns and turn them into a viral fashion sensation — like the way this social media influencer did. Free publicity!
So what options do local healthcare institutions have? This guide will go through:
- The purpose of hospital gowns and materials commonly used
- Types of hospital/patient gowns available
- Where to buy hospital gowns in Singapore
Why Hospital Gowns?
Also known as patient gowns, hospital gowns have a few practical purposes:
- They allow nurses and doctors easy access to parts of the patient during medical examinations, surgeries, and birthings
- If meant to be reused, they’re easy for hospitals to clean and sterilise
- They allow easy removal without disturbing IV lines or wounds
Hospital gowns are not like surgical or isolation gowns.
Surgical gowns must meet established healthcare standards according to the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), as healthcare professionals wear the gowns as PPE. They’re meant to cover the wearer's front — from the top of their shoulders to their knees — along with their arms. They're regulated as Class II medical devices and need FDA approval before they can be marketed.
Similarly, isolation gowns are meant as PPE covering as much of the body as possible. There are gowns for both patients and healthcare personnel in low to high-risk settings.
In contrast, hospital gowns aren’t meant to cover as much of the body as possible. They are usually baggy, backless, knee-length, and often short-sleeved (for reasons #1 and #3 stated above). However, healthcare institutions are now adopting more modest designs in regard for patient dignity.
What Materials are Commonly Used in Hospital Gowns?
Like medical scrubs, reusable hospital gowns are meant to be durable, comfortable, and easy to wash. That’s why they’re typically made of 100% cotton, 100% polyester, or a polycotton blend. Of these, polycotton offers the best balance between cost and durability as it will withstand many rounds of washing.
Disposable hospital gowns are made of lightweight nonwoven materials such as polypropylene, polyester, or polyethylene. They can either be sterile or non-sterile depending on your requirements.
What Types of Hospital Gowns Are Available?
From quick medical examinations to prolonged birthings, the design you need depends on the procedures the patient will undergo. Here are the different designs available:
IV Hospital Gowns
These typically have snap closures on the shoulder or butterfly sleeves to prevent disruption to IV lines.
Tie Closure Gowns
This is the traditional design you’ll see for patient gowns, with tie closures on the back and neck area.
Kimono-style Hospital Gowns
A design collaboration with hospital clothing company Care+Wear and the Parsons School of Design, this wrap-style gown provides coverage while allowing doctors easy access to the patient’s body. The easy-to-fasten system of ties and snaps on the gown allows for partial exposure to various parts of the body while keeping the rest hidden from view: the lower body, upper back, arms, and shoulders.
Snap Closure Gowns
These gowns are designed to be easy to wear and take off for patients with limited dexterity.
The position of the snap closures varies depending on your requirements. For example, some gowns have snap closures on the shoulders, which is helpful for someone with a broken arm or undergoing surgery on their shoulders. Other gowns have snap closures along with overlapping folds on the back — for patients who prefer the greater security of snap closures to string ties.
Labour & Delivery Maternity Hospital Gowns
Maternity hospital gowns have a few key requirements. Gowns must open in the front for nursing, allow access to IVs if needed, and be large enough to accommodate pregnant mothers while remaining comfortable.
Disposable Hospital Gowns
These are meant for quick medical examinations or scans and are to be properly discarded afterwards. There are several designs available, like the disposable kimono-style gown, tie-in-the-back gown, and three-hole gown.
Hospital Gown Manufacturers in Singapore
Here’s where you can buy regular and disposable hospital gowns locally:
1. Yau Hoe Garment
Yau Hoe Garment is a local corporate uniform supplier that specialises in medical, construction, and F&B uniforms. They’ve been in business for over three decades and are now run by third-generation management.
You’ll find customisable uniforms and PPE such as lab coats, medical scrubs, hospital gowns (regular and disposable), and surgical gowns here. Yau Hoe is also closely partnered with MF Asia to bring in products such as nitrile gloves and surgical shoe covers so as to become a one-stop shop for healthcare apparel and PPE.
2. CYC Corporate Label
Like Yau Hoe, CYC Corporate Label started off as a tailoring shop. They’ve now expanded to offer corporate uniforms of all sorts, including medical apparel.
CYC primarily specialises in uniforms, so you won’t find medical-grade gloves and other PPE here. However, smaller clinics will be glad to learn that CYC accepts small orders (with a minimum order of 50 pieces for Made to Measure designs.