SIA cabin crew redeployed as hospital care ambassadors

Instead of serving passengers on a plane, 30 SIA cabin crew members will be caring for patients in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) instead, starting from next week. They are the first batch of cabin crew, who were temporarily grounded due to cancelled flights in the light of the coronavirus outbreak, to be redeployed as "care ambassadors" at the public hospital in Yishun. They will be assigned to low-risk wards and support hospital care teams to carry out basic caregiving procedures, nutritional care as well as patient service management for patients. Patients in these general wards are treated for, among other things, chronic diseases, heart disorders and acute surgical conditions. On Tuesday, the care ambassadors underwent medical screening, vaccinations and a hospital orientation. Over the next five days, they will undergo training and be taught basic medical terminologies, vital signs monitoring, oral feeding, as well as positioning, turning and ambulating a patient. They will also be trained in safety and infection control measures and will be required to wear a mask, although they will have no direct contact with Covid-19 patients. From next week, they will be deployed to work the nine-hour day and night shifts at the hospital, five days a week.<br/>