A tribute to SIA Care Ambassadors
An SIA Care Ambassador at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Donning their blue scrub suits, they look like any other qualified registered nurses. But unlike the regular nurses, these are care ambassadors who have volunteered to join their frontline counterparts during this pandemic.
During my recent hospital visits to see my daughter, who was warded at Ward 7C of Tan Tock Seng Hospital from Sept 5 to Sept 10, I had the opportunity to closely observe and speak to one extraordinary female care ambassador.
On first sight, she looked just like any experienced and qualified nurse.
Attentive and responsive, she answered to the patients' needs — from serving food to changing diapers; taking temperature and blood pressure readings; turning over the patients in bed; assisting patients to the toilets; and rendering support to the nurses and doctors in various other tasks.
In short, the Care Ambassador did almost all the nursing tasks, except dispensing medication and helping doctors attend to patients.
At first glance, it was not easy to differentiate between a regular nurse from a Care Ambassador, given the sort of duties that the latter was carrying out.
On a closer look, however, it was a small badge, with the Singapore Airlines (SIA) logo, worn on her left shoulder that revealed her identity as a Care Ambassador.
I applaud these volunteers from the SIA cabin crew for taking on this demanding frontline role.
It is no easy feat — working long hours; taking a salary cut and putting patients above self.
Standing alongside our nurses and doctors, their training at the airline has been put to good national use and they deserve Singaporeans’ appreciation and recognition.
My personal encounter was with Ms Ong Bin Hui. In my brief chats with her, I learned that she is In-Flight Manager, a pinnacle rank as a cabin crew with one of the best airlines in the world.
Out of curiosity, I asked Ms Ong why she took on this role as a Care Ambassador.
Without hesitation, she promptly said that she has taken care of her elderly grandparents as well as her aging parents and would therefore be able to take care of elderly and other patients in the ward. And as a cabin crew, her duties are also not very different from a Care Ambassador.
On the day my daughter was discharged, Ms Ong even bought her some fruits and wished her a speedy recovery.
Thank you Ms Ong, Care Ambassadors and Singapore Girls.
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