Status On Designating Private Hospitals To Receive Emergency Cases From SCDF Ambulances

29 May 2004

In February this year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had informed all private sector acute hospitals that they are welcome to participate in the management of patients carried by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulances.

2.  To date, no private hospital has applied formally to MOH to be designated to receive emergency patients carried by SCDF ambulances. As such, the SCDF will continue to convey emergency ambulance cases only to the nearest currently designated public hospitals.

3.  The 6 designated hospitals are Singapore General Hospital, Changi General Hospital, National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Alexandra Hospital and KK Women's and Children Hospital (for obstetrical, gynaecological and paediatric emergencies).

4.  The SCDF would like to reiterate that patients in emergency cases conveyed by SCDF ambulances are sent only to the nearest designated hospitals with A&E facilities as these hospitals maintain the resources to provide round-the-clock specialist support; they are led by in-house emergency specialist and fully equipped with the necessary facilities as well as supporting clinical services to handle a wide range of medical emergencies.

5.  The ambulances of the SCDF are manned by well-trained paramedics, who are capable of stabilising and performing resuscitation on patients as part of the pre-hospital care management.

6.  The professional treatment an SCDF paramedic is able to give is complemented by the sophisticated equipment carried on board the SCDF ambulances, including the defibrillator.

Karen Tan (Ms), Deputy Director

(Corporate Communications)

For Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Health

6325 9050

Lieutenant Colonel N Subhas

Director, Public Affairs Department

Singapore Civil Defence Force

9753 3856