Reply to Lianhe Zaobao Media Query on the Deployment of SAF Medical Officers for COVID-19

Media Reply to be Attributed to MINDEF

Around 70 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel, comprising Regulars and Full-time National Servicemen, from the Army Medical Services have been deployed since 6 April 20 to assist the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower in providing primary healthcare for foreign workers. The SAF personnel, made up of Medical Officers, Military Medical Experts and Medics, are deployed to Westlite Toh Guan Dormitory, Toh Guan Dormitory and S11 Dormitory @ Punggol. At S11 Dormitory, they work together with frontline medical staff from the Sengkang General Hospital. We have also been working with teams from the National University Health System, SingHealth and National Healthcare Group to establish primary healthcare facilities at Sungei Tengah Lodge, Tampines Dormitory, Cochrane Lodge I and Acacia Lodge. Foreign workers with acute respiratory illnesses are separated and tested for COVID-19. The fight against COVID-19 is a nationwide effort. The Ministry of Defence and SAF will continue to do our part to support the whole-of-society fight against the virus.

Quote by LTC (Dr) Kok Wai Leong, SAF Medical Team Lead at S11 Dormitory @ Punggol

Due to the large capacity of dormitories like S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, we expected large numbers of patients, and therefore our focus was to ensure strict infection control to limit the spread of the virus. We are committed to ensure the foreign workers have access to primary healthcare, and we work closely with the dormitory operators to ensure they step up environmental sanitation measures and education efforts of individual hygiene. This is especially critical as the workers live in close quarters.

The Army Medical Services, MOH and the public hospitals have an excellent partnership and worked together to ensure the wellbeing of the foreign workers. The alignment to the mission allows the team to focus on providing comprehensive healthcare and deliver the best clinical outcome to the foreign workers. In particular at S11, we are also very thankful to have the team from Sengkang General Hospital join us in this effort to provide primary healthcare to the workers.