SCDF to hire foreigners to meet rising demand for emergency medical services
SCDF will start hiring foreigners from March to meet rising demands for emergency medical services.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 19, 2025 5:30 AMByBhavya RawatFor 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.
"However, the rising number of EMS calls, due in part to Singapore's ageing population, presents tremendous challenges for the SCDF and its EMS crews," Assoc Prof Faishal explained.
He added that suitable candidates are expected to undergo rigorous training in accordance with SCDF's standards and protocols.
According to annual statistics released on Feb 13, the SCDF responded to 245,279 emergency calls in 2024.
Nearly 50 per cent of the calls involved seniors aged 65 and above.
This number is also expected to increase beyond 2025.
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