SCDF to hire foreigners to meet rising demand for emergency medical services
For the first time, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will be hiring foreigners as paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to attend to 995 calls.
This will help bolster the SCDF's 24-hour Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which currently has 95 operational ambulances, with plans to expand its fleet to meet the rising demand due to Singapore's ageing population.
Hiring foreigners will also address the shortage of local manpower that SCDF is facing when it comes to paramedics and EMTs. An EMS crew usually consists of one paramedic and two EMTs.
On Tuesday (Feb 18), Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim announced that the SCDF plans to begin hiring foreigners, mainly from Asean countries, in March.
Speaking during an appreciation event for SCDF responders, partner and volunteers, he said that the SCDF EMS strives to reach a patient as soon as possible, aiming to respond to 80 per cent of all emergency medical calls within 11 minutes.