Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) is a part of the national network of hospitals to respond to civil emergencies including hazardous material (Hazmat) incidents in Singapore. The HDS course aims to train our staff on basic knowledge of the effects of hazardous material exposure and the operations of the HDS.

HDS course was planned in three phases:

Phase one aimed to train all DEM personnel so as to have a critical mass of personnel equipped to operate the HDS upon immediate notice. Phase two involves hospital staff from non-emergency departments. Material and simulations for phase two was simplified to focus on the skills and prompt decontamination. Phase three aims to test out capabilities of HDS and review processes through department simulations and hospital.

155 staff have completed HDS training since 2019, amongst them, 23 as instructors. 67.7% found the demonstrations, skills and practices exceeded expectations. 69% were able to apply skills taught during simulation and overall, 71.2% were able to understand topics covered in the modules.

SKH was at the forefront of battling Covid-19 and resources were tight. We have resumed trainings to complete Phase two. We aim to train more than 35% of manpower in non-emergency departments to achieve higher recall.

Training for national emergencies is challenging. HDS is located right outside the emergency department and has advantages of allowing smooth traffic to decontaminate patients and prompt treatment. However, training can get disrupted with incoming ambulances, patient influx and lack of resources.

SKH aims to be well prepared in handling pandemics and still maintain its capabilities in assisting in national emergencies. There are plans for hospital simulation exercises for all relevant stakeholders and internal and external reviews are required to improve decontamination systems and processes. It is important to continue training hospital personnel to support HDS during crises.