On Tuesday (May 12), the Ministry of Health announced that over 224,262 Covid-19 tests — that’s 3,900 tests per hundred thousand people — have been conducted in Singapore so far.
This is among the highest testing rates in the world, but Singapore wants to further ramp up their Covid-19 testing capacity to up to 40,000 a day by later this year.
To facilitate this, a recruitment drive has been launched to hire swab testers to conduct these tests.
Individuals who are hired as swab assistants will earn a monthly salary of S$3,400, while those who are converted to ‘swabbers’ will earn S$3,800 a month.
More Tests To Be Done In Singapore
Singapore is aiming to test the entire population of 320,000 migrant workers in the dormitories to ensure that the workers are well, and can safely resume work when their sectors gradually reopen.
Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong shared earlier that preschool staff, nursing homes and frontline medical workers are also among the top priorities for testing on a regular basis.
All pre-school staff in Singapore will also be tested from today (May 15). The test, which is a precautionary measure, would cover principals, teachers and educarers, as well as those who look after infants and toddlers.
What Does A Swab Tester Have To Do
Individuals will start off as Swab Assistants where they are required to undergo on-the-job training and assessment before converting to ‘swabbers’.
They will also have to work six rotating days a week for a period of six months, with an option to extend for three more months.
Applicants must be medically fit with no history of chronic disease, proficient in English and a Mother Tongue language (Chinese, Malay and/or Tamil) and must be a Singaporean or PR.
They must also have a minimum education qualification of GCE ‘N’ levels or a level five Statement of Attainment (SOA) for the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy assessment (WPLN). Fluency in dialect and Bengali is a plus.
Individuals must be able to work shifts or on weekends, if necessary.
They will be provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and N95 masks, and may be deployed to community recovery facilities, government quarantine facilities and/or nursing homes.
What Each Job Entails:
Swab assistants:
- Ensure that the right client turns up at stated appointment slot for on-site registration by checking name and ID number against namelist provided by the camp
- Fill in registration and laboratory forms completely
- Disinfect tables and chairs after each client during triage and registration. Prepare tissue papers for clients if needed
- Coordinate with ushers to approach individual client with swab kits (with correct client names) at designated areas
- Inform client on swab process, potential discomfort and next steps after swabs
- Prepare and seal specimen bag/s for swabber to deposit specimen container after each swab
- Triaging of clients
Swabbers:
- Check with verified clients for any respiratory symptoms/contraindications based on checklist provided
- Coordinate with medical doctors to swab and attend to isolated clients who declared positive for respiratory symptoms/contraindications
- Double check correct client name labels on swab kits and ensure 1 meter spacing at all times
- Perform Nasopharyngeal swab procedure to collect specimens for lab testing. Attach patient sticker with lab number onto specimen container after each swab
- Follow necessary procedures and secure the swab in the UTM on lab provided rack
- Check in on client’s well being at all times before and after swab
Interested individuals can apply at e2i.com.sg or through this application form.
Featured Image Credit: Changi General Hospital