3 Dec 2025
Dear College members,
The psychiatric community mourns the loss of Professor Teo Seng Hock, a pioneering figure who dedicated his career to advancing mental health care in Singapore and served as the longest-serving Medical Superintendent of Woodbridge Hospital for 17 years.
Prof Teo was doubly qualified with a Diploma in Psychiatric Medicine and membership of the Royal College of Physicians, Glasgow. During his tenure, he wore many hats, fulfilling roles equivalent to modern-day CEO, Chairman of Medical Board, and Chief Operating Officer combined. His leadership extended beyond administration—he served as director and chief examiner of the NUS postgraduate psychiatry course for the Master of Medicine Degree in Psychiatry when Singapore established its own psychiatry training program in the early 1980s.
Prof Teo played a pivotal role in the development of the Institute of MentalHealth. Working with architects and colleagues, he conducted overseas trips to study mental hospitals worldwide, ultimately helping to design and build the new IMH facility that opened in 1993. His vision emphasized creating therapeutic spaces for patients, including day care centers and rehabilitation activity centers that served both inpatients and outpatients.
His contributions transformed psychiatric care in Singapore, and IMH stands as a lasting testament to his dedication and foresight. Prof Teo's legacy lives on in the countless patients who received compassionate care and the generations of psychiatrists he trained and mentored.
Always remembered
Dr Giles Tan Ming Yee
President, College of Psychiatrists, Academy of Medicine Singapore (AMS)
This is the link to the obituary published in The Straits Times on 2 December 2025.
