Services

Setting up house

Air conditioner
If you have moved into staff housing after spring 2004, the University has installed air conditioners in the bedrooms and raised the rent to cover the costs. These air conditioners will now be maintained by you. If you want to buy additional units for the living room, for example, you can do at your own cost. You can buy it from any store mentioned under white goods and follow the Protocol laid out by the University.

There are many, many companies that offer their services for maintaining the air conditioning units or repair and flyers come through the mail every once in a while.  Maintenance packages vary depending on numbers of units and frequency of servicing. Here is a selection of some that are obviously willing to come here, since residents got their flyers.  Some, obviously also do electrical repair.

Durable Air-Con Installation and Repair                         67480683 or 97988144
Kaisoon Airconditioning and Engineering Design           64817482 or 64840021
Liberal Aire 64457288
Morris Air-Con Services                                            63655219 or 97219685
Sky Blue Electrical and Aircon Services                        63650747
Sunway Aircon Electrical Services                                62524140

Telephone / Hand phone
SingTel/ star hub / M1 are the companies you must contact for a landline once you have signed papers showing that you live at the certain unit. You might be required to provide evidence on your immigration status, i.e. a passport with employment pass is needed! From the time you send in the form and proof (the post takes a day within Singapore) to having a working connection takes five working days.

Hand phones comes at a discounted rate when you sign up with a plan what is usually two years. Service centers are all over and SingTel, M1 and Star Hub service centers are in Jurong Point. Individual phones can be bought new at the centers or used at small shops in shopping centers of local residential buildings (HDBs). Pre-paid cards are a possibly cheaper alternative if you only use the hand phone for emergencies or very occasionally.

Cable TV is provided by SingTel and Star Hub and offers basic packages and additional packages for Chinese/Indian languages as well as  for movie lovers etc.

All units now are able to subscribe to StarHub / SingTel.

Opening a bank account
You will need to bring your passport, employment pass or letter from Human Resources, a down payment depending on the account you want to open to the branch that you want to have as your main branch. Any checks and cards will be mailed to you.

Household services

Cleaning and Repair
once you move to a new unit on campus, first three months of repair is being covered by the University. After 3 months the occupant has to take care of the repair and maintenance of the apartment. The university has appointed authorized contractors that you may contact for repairs. You have to pay cash for the repairs. For emergency repairs the number is: 67904777 (24/7).

Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaners are at all malls in the area: in the nearby shopping malls of Jurong West (a bike ride away) at Gek Poh Shopping Centre and Pioneer Mall as well as in Jurong Point (separate shop in basement or one across from the cashiers at NTUC Fairprice). It might be worthwhile to ask for a membership.

The following are some who have free pickup and delivery:
Console Laundry                                                              6794 4368
Gentle Clean Laundry                                                      6562 6391
Home Success Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services        9108 8529
Kleen Wash Dry Cleaning and Laundrette                       6795 3180

Key Duplication and Shoe Repair
Mr. Minit is in the basement of Jurong Point and provides both services.  There are also individual shops and stalls at the Jurong West shopping area by the Nanyang CC.

Pots and Plants
Pots can be bought nearby at Dragon Kiln (see sign for entrance just before entrance to NTU on Jalan Bahar) or Jurong West/Jurong Point or for more variety and more modern/antique touches at IKEA or China Town. Basic earth can be purchased at Dragon Kiln as well. Plants bought at large household stores like IKEA might not last, so it might be worth it to grow your own from neighbor’s saplings or to go to a nursery.

Cut flowers
Cut flowers from cooler areas can be bought at Jurong Point at the two flower shops in the basement.  Locally grown ones (orchids and such) are offered at Fairprice and the wet market of Jurong West.  The cheapest and most variety of orchids in the area can be found at the cemetery, which is left when you turn on to Jalan Bahar from campus.  The orchid stand is at the first cemetery lot on the right hand side.

Sewing and Mending
There are several tailors and sewing services at HDB (local housing) areas like in the area of Nanyang Community Club and drycleaners will mend clothing if it is not too intricate. Irene (at Blk 961 #01-204 Jurong West St. 92, tel 67900635 open 9-8) does a good job.

Medical Support

For minor matters
Singapore has a very low doctor to patient ration, so you do not really need an appointment and walk right into the doctor’s office after registration, although you can easily wait 1½ hours at peak times depending on the place. Sometimes, they will let you know the approximate time and you can do some quick shopping as many doctors are in shopping areas, like Jurong West, Jurong Point or the City Center.

Off campus, nearby - There are medical centers at Jurong West (by Nanyang Community Center) and Jurong Point. The 6^th floor of Jurong Point has several general medical practices, a dentist and dental surgeon, a pediatrician, gynecologist, optometrist and radiologist. There are two pharmacies at Jurong Point. In some cases doctors’ surgeries also incorporate a dispensing pharmacy.

For more information please visit Jurong Point's web site, then click on mall listing, medical and doctors.

A 24 hour medical center is at the bottom of an HDB at the front entrance of Jurong Point where 7-11 is located.

Insurance - Most expats in Singapore will obtain some kind of medical insurance. Before consulting a doctor make sure that your insurance does not place any restrictions on whom you can use.

For more major or long-term matters

Giving birth - Gynecologists can be recommended by fellow women on campus and usually found at hospitals. There is also a women’s clinic at Jurong Point’s sixth floor. If you are looking for a hospital for giving birth, here is a listing in the order of how fast one can reach it from campus:

NUH (National University Hospital):     Gleneagles:                                           Mt. Elizabeth:                                       KK (THE hospital for women and children): Raffles:                                                  Mt. Alvernia:                                         East Shore:

67725000 64737222 67312218 63941177 63111555 63476210 36408666

Hospitals
Visit the Ministry of Health website for cost comparison when having a baby in Singapore’s hospitals or any other procedure. Generally, it is advised to call a taxi when rushing to the hospital – one can see taxis overtaking ambulances. Also, some taxi drivers have told stories of how cool they stayed when birth related ‘accidents’ happened on the way to the hospital.

The nearest hospital is the National University Hospital, but actually the private ones like Gleneagles or Mt. Elizabeth have similar costs as NUH and take just as long to reach there (25 min. by taxi). The most reasonable priced and largest hospital for women and children is KK Hospital just north of the city center. If you want to have a specific surgery or procedure done, then shopping around for services and prices is recommended. Some even go to the Malaysian border town of Jahor Bahru for more major, but less dangerous medical procedures.

Libraries
You need a working visa and deposit to get a library card.  The Staff is very helpful, an inter-library system is active, checking in and out of books and paying fines is done by yourself with your card and computers at the library.

• NTU Library - a large selection of academic journals, books and the like, but also subscribes to women's magazines from other countries like Malaysia that are not sold in Singapore stores
• NIE Library - very quiet with a nice cafe within NIE complex
• Jurong West Community Library – this one is the largest in the area close to NTU, just moved from Jurong Point to new Pioneer Community Centre at 60 Jurong West Central 3, #01-03, opens March 2006 again
• Jurong Regional Library –largest regional library, newly reopened 2004, large teen section, in Jurong East not far from MRT station
• National Library – the new building (Bugis area) is ready and equipped with everything you can imagine connected to libraries, including a theatre, cafe/bistro with reasonable prices and hot dishes.