S'pore's first electric bus for medical screenings and vaccinations rolled out

SINGAPORE - Singapore has rolled out its first electric vehicle licensed to offer medical screenings, making such services more accessible and convenient to the elderly islandwide.

The bus, owned by charitable healthcare organisation Sata CommHealth, can also be used to conduct vaccinations and medical consultations.

Officially launched on Monday (March 14) by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, it will first be made available to Sata's 24 existing partners, such as the Bishan Home for the Disabled.

The bus, which can accommodate a maximum of two patients, will provide services such as retinal photography, blood pressure screening, diabetic foot screening and vaccinations. Basic medicine is stocked.

There will be a doctor, a nurse and two administrative staff to help out with the registration and paperwork on the bus.

The launch of the vehicle also marks Sata CommHealth's 75th anniversary.

Dr Kelvin Phua, its chief executive officer, said: "This electric medical bus will help to increase the accessibility of seniors who have to travel long distances to the clinics and also help to take care of the seniors."

If a conventional diesel bus is used, an external generator may be needed to power the air-conditioning for long periods of time, which is environmentally unfriendly.

Conversely, minimal energy is needed to keep the air-conditioning of an electric bus running the whole day, which makes it ideal as a mobile clinic.

A fully charged electric bus can run 200km, and support an entire day's operations.

Currently, Sata has 10 diesel vehicles which come in various sizes and have different capabilities, such as X-ray and mammogram screenings.

Sata plans to have an all-electric fleet by 2030.