Grounded SIA cabin crew to help at public hospitals
From passengers to patients, Singapore Airlines (SIA) stewardess Meera Selliah, 36, will be using her time off to help healthcare workers in public hospitals.
Miss Meera, who has been grounded by cancelled flights, told The New Paper: "As I have been trained by Singapore Airlines to provide excellent care and service to passengers on board, I can use this opportunity to contribute to society."
She and 29 other SIA cabin crew members will be the first batch of Care Ambassadors (CA), a programme launched by Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) yesterday.
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.
At the launch, all 30 ambassadors underwent medical screenings and vaccinations for diseases such as hepatitis B, chickenpox, and seasonal influenza.
Miss Meera, a stewardess of 10 years, said: "The environment is not a confined capsule any more... Either way, we are still a call bell away, ever ready to render our service."
Today is the start of the crew's five-day training programme by KTPH and Yishun Community Hospital to prepare them for their three-month secondment.
Training includes learning basic medical terminologies, vital signs monitoring, oral feeding, and positioning, turning and ambulating a patient.
To ensure their safety, the crew will be trained in safety and infection control measures. Protective equipment will also be provided.
Even though staff members will be working with a learning team, KTPH's nurse manager of inpatient wards Yvonne Yap told TNP: "The CAs will be a great help in the wards as they bolster our resources for service-related work and basic caregiving."
KTPH's chief nurse Shirley Heng said collaborating with SIA will help augment manpower needs at a challenging time as many staff members have been diverted to care for Covid-19-related patients.
Ms Heng added: "This is also a good opportunity for our nurses to exchange knowledge and skills on service with the crew of SIA, who are top service professionals."
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