Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medics will be deployed on Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulances in a three-month pilot project from September 2017, as the medical needs of Singaporeans continue to grow.
The project aims to meet the growing demand in calls for ambulances and emergency treatments, which are expected to increase 6 percent annually in light of Singapore’s ageing population, said Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen on Tuesday (May 23, 2017) who was speaking at the opening of the Asia-Pacific Military Health Exchange at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore.
The Asia Pacific Military Health Exchange (APMHE) 2017 is the premier opportunity for military health care professionals from across the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to discuss health topics affecting this region and collaborate on important issues such as disaster response, medical readiness, and improvements in the delivery of healthcare.
Speaking to about 500 delegates comprising senior military officers, active service and reserve medics, nurses, allied health professionals and defence researchers from the Asia-Pacific countries.
“The SAF’s primary mission is to defend the nation against external threats, but in the area of emergency care, using SAF medics to respond to civilian emergencies is synergistic and mutually helpful,”
“It will meet the growing demand as well as allow our medics to keep their skills current, to better respond in times of military crises,” said Minister Ng
The pilot partnership will involve 12 SAF medics, comprising 10 full-time national servicemen and two regular servicemen, who will work closely with SCDF personnel to respond to civilian medical emergencies.
As the SAF will have its manpower reduced by one-third from 2030, vocation requirements for the SAF Medical Corps is being reviewed to be more flexible to allow more soldiers to be deployed to each vocation.
The review will be completed soon and will be implemented progressively.
