The Avengers may have slacked off during these turbulent times, but it appears that Singapore has cultivated its own set of superheroes and heroes to combat the pandemic in their stead.
Close to 7000, to be exact.
And on Monday (29 March 2021), these health professionals were officially recognised for their heroic deeds…
Having been presented with prestigious accolades for their contributions to the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
17 Health Professionals Received Top “COVID-19 Superhero” Award; 6,860 Others Received “Hero” Award
According to various news reports, 17 health professionals were presented with the top COVID-19 Superhero award at the annual Singapore Health Quality Service Awards – a ceremony organised by the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre.
Meanwhile, 6,860 other healthcare workers, who hail from 38 healthcare institutions, community hospitals and community care agencies, were presented with the hero award.
Situated at the Singapore General Hospital Campus, this year’s ceremony saw a record number of accolade winners since its inception in 2011.
It also has a unique theme this year called Celebration of Unity, in recognition of all the health professionals who have made significant contributions to the war against COVID-19.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong served as the guest of honour at the event, and commended Singapore’s healthcare scene for their proficiency and ability amidst such tumultuous times.
“Even as the battle (against Covid-19) is ongoing, we would like to take the opportunity to appreciate and recognise the efforts of our healthcare heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve courageously and tirelessly.”
Valiant Deeds
Numerous heroic acts may have been committed thus far, but some stand out even in the vast seabed of valiant deeds.
The SingHealth team that somehow achieved the staggering task of building a 3,200-bed community care facility within 10 days, for instance, was recognised with the Best Team Award at the ceremony.
They’re among three teams that clinched the prestigious accolade, with the other two being the staff at St Luke’s ElderCare (SLEC) and the team from Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
The SLEC team came up with the Care Ambassador Programme, which trained 165 staff members to check on seniors who were affected as a result of the pandemic.
As for the team from SGH, they came up with the SG-SAFE (Swab Assurance for Everyone): a booth that forms a barrier between healthcare professionals and patients, thus protecting the former from any infectious respiratory droplets.
Mobile medical teams, which were tasked with taking care of badly-hit foreign dormitories when the pandemic first blew out of hand, were recognised for their efforts as well.
Special mentions were also dedicated to those who narrowly missed out on the awards, but have made similar contributions to the healthcare industry.
One particular instance was a multidisciplinary team at Singhealth, which developed the COVID-19 Virtual Disease Health System Outbreak model for Singapore (CoViD-SOS). The team from St. Andrew’s Community Hospital was another choice mention, having developed functional robots to serve infected personnel, thus reducing interaction time between healthcare personnel and patients.
It should be noted that different panels of judges had presided over the selection process.
For more information on all the award recipients and their achievements, you can click here.
Improved Prospects For The Healthcare Sector
Meanwhile, according to reports, the government is planning to make a career in healthcare more attractive so as to entice more Singaporeans into joining the healthcare industry.
“Recently at Budget 2021, I announced that nurses, allied health professionals and pharmacists in our public healthcare institutions can look forward to a salary increase,” said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
The move comes off the back of significant contributions to the healthcare sector in these times, and stems from an intention to ensuring affordable and quality healthcare services for all Singaporeans.
One thing’s for sure; we’re glad that these healthcare professionals, who have put in so much effort amidst such turbulent times, are finally being given the recognition they so deserve.
Featured Image: Facebook (Mount Alvernia Hospital)
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