From Left: LCP Faris Arafat Bin Marwee, SGT2 Mohammad Hafidz Bin Afandi, and SGT2 Muhammad Sufian Bin Rosslan
On a Wednesday afternoon, 19 February 2020, SCDF received a call for a medical emergency incident at Yishun Polyclinic. Forgoing their lunch, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel from Yishun Fire Station swung into action. Within minutes, the crew arrived at the scene donned in their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and attended to the patient.
“The patient was a man in his late thirties who was displaying symptoms such as breathlessness, cough and high fever,” SGT2 Mohammad Hafidz recalled.
The patient was conveyed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital where he was placed in an isolation room and received medical treatment. The patient was later diagnosed to have contracted COVID-19.
“I was quite worried at first but I was relieved that my team did a very thorough job handling the incident,” said SGT2 Mohammad Hafidz when asked about how he felt after hearing that the patient turned out to be infected with COVID-19.
With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, frontline personnel worked round-the-clock ensuring the safety of every person in their care. Apart from that, they want their colleagues and family members to be safe as well.
“As I am staying with my in-laws, I am taking extra care with my hygiene after each incident I attended to because I want my family members to be safe. At work, I would ensure that my colleagues and I take care of ourselves and use our equipment safely. Everyone has a part to play to keep ourselves safe to minimise the spread of the disease,” said SGT2 Muhammad Sufian.
SGT2 Hafidz added that he would separate his laundry from those of his family members whenever he returned from work. Despite his family members’ concerns for his safety, SGT2 Hafidz felt comforted and motivated by their love and support for his profession as one of the many frontline personnel battling COVID-19.
“Despite their worries, my family supports me emotionally because they know that it can get very tiring in times like this. Some of our personnel even had to take their Leave of Absence as part of the safety measures in place, and as such some of us had to cover their duties,” said SGT2 Mohammad Hafidz.
LCP Faris’ parents are residing in Malaysia and since the country’s recent lockdown, they have been communicating often via video calls on the Internet.
“My parents would always remind me to take good care of myself at work. Even though they may be worried about me, I am glad that my parents believes in me and the work that we do,” said LCP Faris.
“My family is definitely supportive and they trust that we are professional enough to handle all things that come our way no matter what,” SGT2 Sufian added.
The crew would like to thank all Singaporeans for their support of SCDF’s frontline personnel during this COVID-19 crisis. Let us continue to play our part by keeping a safe distance in public, washing our hands regularly, and monitoring our health constantly.