MOBILE X-RAY ON THE FRONTLINE
With increased demand for on-site X-ray services at CCFs, NHG Diagnostics (NHGD) converted its Mobile Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD) trailer into a second Mobile X-ray (MX2) trailer in late April 2020, and deployed it the CCF@Tuas South. The Mobile BMD was retrofitted with a new mobile X-ray system within 12 days despite the global supply chain disruption and manpower restrictions during the Circuit Breaker. The other two units, designed and built in collaboration with Temasek Foundation, were the first in Singapore to be equipped with a Negative Pressure System (NPS). The Mobile X-ray services helped ease the COVID-19 patient load for X-rays in hospitals, and minimised risk of cross-infection.
X-RAY SERVICES AT MIGRANT WORKER ONBOARDING CENTRES
In March 2021, the MX1 was deployed to the Migrant Worker Onboarding Centre (MWOC) @ Punggol to provide on-site X-rays. Two months later, it was deployed to the MWOC @ Eunos. The MWOC was a one-stop service that integrated Stay-Home Notice (SHN) with medical examinations and a “settling-in” programme for migrant workers before they started work in Singapore. It minimised community infection from COVID-19 cases and brought convenience to employers. NHGD radiographers performed chest X-rays for the workers, a medical requirement in application for a work pass.
LABORATORY SUPPORT FOR NATION’S COVID-19 TESTING EFFORTS
To boost nationwide COVID-19 laboratory testing capabilities, NHGD carried out swab sample delivery, blood sample collection, and antibody testing.
Augmenting national COVID-19 antibody testing capacity
In June 2020, NHGD implemented COVID-19 antibody testing at its laboratory at Buangkok Green Medical Park, where up to 400 tests were conducted each day.
Delivering swab samples from polyclinics to COVID-19 testing laboratories
When the polyclinics started to conduct swab tests in early 2020, NHGD medical couriers were activated to deliver swab samples safely and quickly from the polyclinics to COVID-19 testing laboratories located in hospitals for timely processing.
Supporting serology testing at migrant worker dormitories
In May 2020, NHGD led a team of phlebotomists to support serology testing operations by NHG for some 30,000 migrant workers at the dormitories. NHGD helped recruit and coordinate manpower, ran competency checks, and trained more than 20 phlebotomists, who were volunteers from public/private organisations and locums. NHGD also established workflows and guidelines to ensure implementation of infection control measures on-site.