A next-generation, pandemic-ready Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) medical centre, with dedicated isolation rooms and an outdoor swabbing area, officially opened yesterday.
The Tengah Air Base medical centre is also trialling new technologies, including telemedicine and self-service lockers for dispensing medicine, allowing unwell servicemen to receive treatment without being exposed to others.
If successful, these could be rolled out to other Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medical centres in the future.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, who officiated at the opening ceremony, said the centre incorporates lessons learnt from past pandemics, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome and H1N1.
"As this was built, it so happened that the whole world got hit by Covid-19, so it came in very handy. As a result, they could test out the different concepts and designs, and also further innovate the methods, taking into account the requirements of Covid-19."
Medical services are critical in reducing downtime, so that every soldier can be fighting fit for as long as possible, said Mr Heng.
"A centre such as this, because of the way it is designed and equipped and personnel-trained, greatly enhances our confidence and our ability to take good care of our personnel," he said.
Also at the opening ceremony were the Chief of Air Force, Major-General Kelvin Khong; Commander of the Air Power Generation Command, Brigadier-General Ho Yung Peng; Chief Air Force Medical Officer, Colonel (Dr) Benjamin Tan; and other senior officers from the RSAF.
Tengah Air Base hosts the RSAF's fixed-wing and fighter jet operations.
The medical centre, which was conceptualised in 2015, provides primary healthcare for servicemen at the airbase, as well as emergency response for those training in the surrounding areas.
Operating since February, it is the first pandemic-ready SAF medical centre. Features include a sheltered driveway to cater for drive-through swabs and four isolation rooms for those suspected of being infected.
Medics are trained to perform swab operations.
Other initiatives being trialled include a digital queue management system, where servicemen can book appointments remotely.
Another involves telemedicine, which allows a serviceman to consult an SAF doctor via an approved videoconferencing platform.
Using video analytics and artificial intelligence, a non-invasive method of measuring a serviceman's vital signs, such as heart rate and oxygen saturation, is also being tested.
Col (Dr) Tan said innovations being tested at the centre could be implemented at other medical centres across the SAF.
He added: "As of now, a lot of these are still in the trial stages. So we need to evaluate, continue to troubleshoot and refine the processes so that... it's easy scaling up."
Captain (NS) Keval Singh Mann, 33, an operationally ready national serviceman, said that telemedicine could be useful for medical reviews after a serviceman reports sick.
"Being able to possibly do this via telemedicine is really good, because we don't have to queue at the medical centre and the unit can also better utilise our time," added the air warfare officer.
