Twenty buses have been retrofitted so that Covid-19 patients can be transported safely between dormitories and hospitals or community care facilities.

The driver and passengers are in separate compartments with their own air-conditioning systems, in the retrofit by SMRT and engineering company Hope Technik. Both are community partners of Temasek Foundation.

The driver's compartment, which has extra seats for any support staff, has an emergency door in case a paramedic needs to get to a passenger quickly. The buses will be ready by the end of next week, said Temasek chief executive and executive director Ho Ching.

Correction note: An earlier version of this story said the converted buses will be ready by the end of this week. Temasek has since clarified that they will be ready by the end of next week, between May 9 and 10.