[3][4] Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital is situated on a 17-hectare (42-acre) site located 0.8 kilometres (0.50 miles) from the city centre of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.
RIPAS Hospital, named after Raja Isteri (Queen Consort) Pengiran Anak Saleha, was formally inaugurated on 28 August 1984, the same year Brunei attained independence.
[6] The B$69 million Women and Children's Centre at RIPAS Hospital, completed as part of the earlier RKN 9, was officially inaugurated in December 2014.
[8] In addition to the Women and Children's Centre, RIPAS Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department has undergone significant expansion since 2015, increasing both space and equipment to improve service delivery.
[10] RIPAS Hospital is a comprehensive healthcare facility consisting of seven main blocks, each serving a crucial function in delivering a wide range of medical services.
This unit, which includes 12 beds and two reclining chairs, helps to streamline patient assessment and reduce unnecessary admissions by offering a one-stop centre for those undergoing major surgeries.
Although the psychiatry department has been in operation since 1985, psychotherapy services have evolved more slowly, with medical treatments typically taking precedence over psychological approaches.
Shuttle bus services provide easy transportation to and from the Women and Children's Centre block and RIPAS Hospital's Outpatient Department.
[11] In 2023, a customer service survey conducted by Epipeople Management and Consultant revealed several complaints from patients regarding their experiences at RIPAS Hospital.
[12] In a further indication of ongoing challenges, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah acknowledged several issues with the healthcare system during an impromptu visit to the MoH on 25 May 2024.
Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and expectant mothers, were reported to have received impolite treatment, and patients who were outside the correct catchment area were turned away.