Singapore establishes emergency medical team that can respond to local, international crises

SINGAPORE: Singapore has inaugurated an emergency medical team that can provide rapid support during both local and international emergencies.
The Singapore Emergency Medical Team (SGEMT) will enable the country to play a greater role in disaster relief efforts around the region and globally, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a media release on Thursday (Sep 12).
“Akin to a field hospital, the SGEMT can provide comprehensive medical care, including emergency services, primary care and maternal and child health outpatient care to more than 100 patients a day for up to two weeks,” MOH said.
“It can be deployed to crisis-affected regions within 72 hours, providing timely medical assistance in the critical early stages of a disaster, where prompt intervention can significantly impact survival rates and the effectiveness of recovery efforts.”
The team can also be deployed locally to support Singapore’s healthcare system as it responds to large-scale emergencies or mass casualty events.
The SGEMT has met World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for emergency medical teams, which take into account aspects such as training, resourcing and operational procedures, as well as a team’s ability to operate effectively in emergency settings, added MOH.
It is able to generate its own electricity, produce clean water, manage waste disposal and house about 30 medical, technical and administrative personnel.
“This self-sufficiency ensures that the SGEMT can deliver uninterrupted, high-quality medical care without placing additional strain on the affected area’s already limited resources,” the ministry said.
It can also operate independently, or work “seamlessly” with other WHO-classified emergency medical teams, of which there are 40 others globally.
“As the world faces increasing challenges from natural and man-made disasters, the SGEMT stands ready to provide timely and effective medical support to save lives and support recovery efforts,” MOH added.
In a speech during the SGEMT inauguration ceremony at the Home Team Tactical Centre on Thursday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: “As a member of the regional and global community, Singapore does our part to provide humanitarian assistance beyond our shores.”
Mr Ong noted that Singapore has sent relief teams abroad in response to a number of disasters, including the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Typhoon Haiyan which hit the Philippines in 2012 and the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
“In particular, in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) carried out significant disaster relief efforts in Meulaboh, Aceh, Indonesia,” he said.
“They provided medical aid, food and shelter; helped restore roads, bridges and communications; and built a jetty to facilitate delivery of supplies – and I think the jetty is still there today, and it continues to be used.”
The officiation of the SGEMT, he said, “underscores Singapore’s commitment to strengthen regional disaster response capabilities, ensuring that timely and high-quality medical care is available where it is most needed”.
Mr Ong said that it took about 18 months to establish the SGEMT.
“We were initially told that it was an ambitious timeline as compared with previous experiences, as many teams took several years to complete the process,” he said.
“But in typical Singapore fashion, we learned from the experiences of past missions, developed a whole-of-government approach, worked closely with public healthcare institutions to conceptualise the system and design the processes and structures, partnered the SAF and Singapore Civil Defence Force to tap on their expertise, collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fortify the SGEMT’s global operational capabilities, and ensured support from Singapore’s diplomatic network worldwide.”
He added that partnerships were also forged with private players for non-clinical functions including warehousing and equipment maintenance, and that a standby pool of technicians can be rapidly mobilised to handle such functions.
Concluding his speech, Mr Ong said: “I thank everyone who has contributed towards the establishment of the SGEMT. I trust that SGEMT will always stand ready to help out and to fly the Singapore flag high.”