Partnering for better care: Mount Elizabeth Royal Square day surgery centre becomes the first IHH Healthcare facility to join Prudential’s PRUPanel Connect network
SINGAPORE– Media OutReach Newswire – 17 August 2026 – Mount Elizabeth Royal Square, a private day surgery centre, has been added to Prudential Singapore's ("Prudential") PRUPanel Connect panel network with effect from 1 August 2026. The empanelment was commemorated at a signing ceremony between Parkway Hospitals Singapore Pte. Ltd. and Prudential.
PRUShield Integrated Shield plan policyholders with eligible PRUExtra riders can now seek treatment at Mount Elizabeth Royal Square where they will have access to participating specialists and enjoy panel benefits.
Mount Elizabeth Royal Square is the first facility under IHH Healthcare Singapore to be included in the PRUPanel Connect network.
Dr Peter Chow, Chief Executive Officer, IHH Healthcare Singapore, said: "We are pleased to partner Prudential to bring Mount Elizabeth Royal Square into the PRUPanel Connect network. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to improving access to quality private healthcare, while giving eligible patients greater assurance and convenience when they require day surgery or endoscopy care."
Chan San San, Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Singapore, said: "At Prudential, we want to make it easier for customers to navigate their healthcare journey with confidence. By adding Mount Elizabeth Royal Square to PRUPanel Connect, we are strengthening our panel ecosystem and giving PRUShield Extra customers more options for specialist day surgery care, supported by the benefits and assurance of our panel network."
Opened in 2025, Mount Elizabeth Royal Square is a day surgery and endoscopy centre offering hospital-equivalent safety standards, shorter waiting times, dedicated procedure slots, and a seamless patient experience. The centre also provides bedside ultrasound services, a dedicated patient lounge, and is conveniently located right next to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
Through PRUPanel Connect, eligible Prudential customers have access to value-added services when they seek treatment with participating specialists at panel healthcare institutions. These services are available to customers holding eligible PRUExtra policies, including PRUExtra Premier Care, PRUExtra Preferred Care, PRUExtra Premier, PRUExtra Premier CoPay and PRUExtra Preferred CoPay. Customers may enjoy benefits such as cashless admission with an electronic Letter of Guarantee of up to S$15,000, subject to eligibility, as well as keep renewable premiums stable for panel-approved claims.
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About IHH Healthcare Singapore
IHH Healthcare Singapore (IHH SG) is part of IHH Healthcare, a world leader in integrated care with a presence in 10 markets across the world. As Singapore's largest private healthcare provider, IHH SG operates an integrated network of four multi-award-winning acute hospitals – Gleneagles Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Parkway East Hospital – where more than 1,800 accredited specialists provide quality multi-disciplinary specialist care.
IHH SG's network extends beyond acute and tertiary care to primary, specialty care and ancillary services. Its Parkway brand includes the Parkway Shenton network of over 50 clinics island-wide, and iXchange, its managed care and employee benefits arm. Together with Parkway Cancer Centre, Parkway MediCentre, Parkway Radiology, Parkway Laboratories, Parkway Rehab and Parkway Emergency Services, IHH SG's comprehensive range of services underpins its position as the country's most trusted healthcare provider, known for providing quality medical care and clinical outcomes in Singapore and around the region.
For more information, visit https://www.ihhhealthcare.com/singapore/.
About Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd (Prudential Singapore)
Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd is one of the top life and health insurance companies in Singapore, serving the financial and protection needs of the country's citizens for 95 years. As at 31 December 2025, it has S$66.3 billion funds under management. The company has an 'AA' Financial Strength Rating from leading credit rating agency Standard & Poor's and delivers a suite of well-rounded product offerings in Protection, Savings and Investment through multiple distribution channels including a network of 5,400 financial representatives.
For more information, visit https://www.prudential.com.sg
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Amaris B. Clinic's first-half 2026 enquiry figures show arm-related concerns accounted for 41.4% of all body-sculpting enquiries from women, with nearly half of those enquiries coming from women in their 40s. Medical director, Dr Ivan Puah links the trend to perimenopause, slowing metabolism and lifestyle pressures specific to Singapore.
SINGAPORE– Media OutReach Newswire – 17 August 2026 – Arm fat has become the single most common concern driving women to seek body-sculpting consultations in Singapore this year, according to internal enquiry data from Amaris B. Clinic, whose medical director, Dr Ivan Puah, is an MOH-accredited liposuction doctor.
Between January and June 2026, the clinic logged 406 face- and body-sculpting enquiries from women, of which 168 (41.4%) cited arm concerns, more than any other body area. Thirty-one women enquired about more than one area, so individual counts do not sum to the total.
The pattern is one Dr Puah says he sees consistently in practice: Arm fat that resists diet and exercise and that many patients report noticing as they enter their 40s.
Nearly Half of Arm-Concern Enquiries Come From Women in Their 40s
Among women who wrote in specifically about arm concerns, enquiries were heavily concentrated in mid-adulthood, an age range that overlaps with perimenopause for many women:
Arm Fat Overtakes All Other Concerns as Top Reason Singapore Women Seek Body Sculpting Consultations, Clinic Data Shows
Full Breakdown
Arm Fat Overtakes All Other Concerns as Top Reason Singapore Women Seek Body Sculpting Consultations, Clinic Data Shows
| Age group | Percentage of arm-concern enquiries |
| 21 –29 year-olds | 4% |
| 30 – 39 year-olds | 32% |
| 40 – 49 year-olds | 42% |
| 50 – 59 year-olds | 11% |
| 60 – 69 year-olds | 3% |
| 70 and above | 1% |
Nearly half of all arm-related enquiries came from women aged 40 to 49, an age range that overlaps with perimenopause for many women.
Why Arm Fat Is Difficult to Shift
Women naturally carry 6 to 11 percentage points more body fat than men, a difference tied to reproductive physiology. Genetics also influence where fat is stored, and some women are predisposed to carrying it in the upper arms, a distribution pattern that responds poorly to exercise alone.
Patients describe the concern in different ways, including upper-arm fat, "bingo wings" or "bat wings" (a combination of loose skin and fat that moves with the arm), and chafing where the arm rubs against the body.
Dr Puah points to two overlapping life stages as the main physiological drivers:
"Perimenopause and menopause are the two life stages we most consistently see linked to arm fat in the clinic. As women approach these stages, metabolism slows, and that shift tends to show up first in areas like the arms and underarms. It's most noticeable in women with an apple-shaped body distribution," said Dr Puah.
Hormonal changes associated with ageing, often compounded by stress or poor sleep, can make the body more prone to storing fat and losing lean muscle mass. Skin also loses elasticity with age, which Dr Puah says contributes to the looser, softer contour some patients describe.
Climate, Fashion and Workplace Culture Add Visibility
Singapore's climate means sleeveless and short-sleeved clothing is worn year-round, keeping arms visible for most of the year. Dr Puah says this, combined with grooming expectations in client-facing and corporate roles, contributes to why arm concerns generate more enquiries in Singapore than they might in cooler markets.
"In Singapore's climate, women are more conscious of how their arms look in everyday clothing, and arm sculpting is consistently among the most common requests we receive for this concern," said Dr Puah, who chairs Singapore's Lipo Peer Review Committee.
Not All Arm Fullness Is the Same, Clinic Says
Dr Puah cautions that upper-arm fullness is not uniform from patient to patient. For some women it is predominantly fat. For others, it is a combination of fat and skin laxity, with genetics, hormonal changes and age all shaping the tissue involved.
"Many women are surprised to learn that arm fat is often genetically predetermined and resistant to exercise. A proper evaluation helps clarify what's driving the concern and sets realistic expectations for what can be achieved. The rise in enquiries reflects growing awareness that stubborn arm fat is a physiological issue, not a failure of willpower or fitness," said Dr Puah.
The clinic's data points to a broader shift: arm concerns are no longer a secondary consideration for patients but a leading driver of body sculpting consultations among women in Singapore, particularly during the perimenopausal transition.
Note on methodology: Figures are drawn from self-reported enquiry records logged by Amaris B. Clinic between 1 January and 30 June 2026 and reflect enquiries at this clinic only; they are not a population-representative survey of Singapore women.
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ABOUT AMARIS B. CLINIC
Founded in 2004 and led by Dr Ivan Puah, Amaris B. Clinic is a Singapore-based medical aesthetics and cosmetic surgery practice. Its services span facial and body sculpting, including liposuction, gynecomastia surgery, and fat grafting, alongside non-surgical treatments such as Ultherapy Prime, biostimulator injections, and hair loss therapy.
Amaris B. Clinic’s Signature Treatments
ABOUT DR IVAN PUAH
Dr Puah, an MOH-accredited liposuction doctor with extensive training in various cosmetic procedures, is committed to providing personalised care with an artful eye and proven medical techniques.
- Dedicated surgical training in gynecomastia surgery in San Francisco
- Chairman of the Lipo Peer Review Committee in Singapore
- Trained in Vaser liposuction (fundamental and hi-definition) in Colorado and Argentina
- Trained in syringe liposculpture, fat grafting, and thread lift from renowned French plastic surgeon, Dr Pierre Francois Fournier
- Appointed trainer by Allergan and Merz for fellow doctors on cosmetic injectables
- Designated trainer for PDO thread lift and Picolaser from Venusys Medical
- Graduate Diploma in Family Dermatology from NUS
- Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture from TCMB
- Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine from LKCMedicine, NTU
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