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The SGH Department of Emergency Medicine is the busiest
Emergency Department in Singapore. It handles nearly
120,000 patients annually, of which about 9 per cent
are Resuscitations (Priority 1), 33 per cent are major
emergencies (Priority 2), 56 per cent are ambulant/minor
emergencies (Priority 3) and 2 per cent are non-emergencies
(priority 4).
The department is also the national coordinating centre
for planning of disaster management protocols for casualty
management for a whole host of potential disasters such
as air-crash, building collapses, fires on tall buildings
and ships, train collision, ferry mishap and chemical
disasters. It is actively involved with the Ministry
of Health and the various public hospitals in regular
mass disaster exercises with other agencies. In addition,
the department holds the disaster-site medical command
headquarters vehicle and maintains a semi-automated
decontamination facility for handling chemical accident
casualties.
It serves the largest world area in its provision of
maritime radio-medical advice, covering the whole of
the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions with provision
of aeromedical evacuation advice in grave situations.
The department is the largest recipient of helicopter-evacuated
casualties in Singapore.
The department plays a leading role in conjunction
with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in initiating,
planning and supervising the professional care provided
by the Emergency Ambulance Service of the SCDF. This
is managed on behalf of the Ministry of Health. The
current Cardiac Defibrillation Program was implemented
in collaboration with the Department of Cardiology in
addition to bimonthly Paramedic Continuing Education
Programs for SCDF and other SGH paramedics.
The department continues its commitment to enhance
the level of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Community
First Aid in the Singapore community. In conjunction
with the SGH Annual Scientific Meetings, the department
conducts Hospital-based training sessions in Community
First Aid. It also serves the community in teaching
Community First Aid and other forms of basic and advanced
life support programs.
The department is actively involved in the development
of a number of sub-specialty areas in Emergency Medicine.
This development is carried out through the various
care services in the Department, viz. Emergency Cardiac
Care Service, Emergency Toxicology Service, Disaster
Medicine Service, Emergency Pre-hospital care service,
Emergency Trauma Service, Emergency Airway Service,
Emergency Observation Service and General Emergency
Medical Services.
The department plays a major role in the detailed planning,
coordination, evaluation and implementation of undergraduate,
basic post-graduate and advanced post-graduate education
in Emergency Medicine education in Singapore. It is
also the main organizer of the conjoint Master of Medicine
(Emergency Medicine) diploma offered by the National
University of Singapore and the Membership of the Royal
College of Surgeons examination in Accident and Emergency
Medicine and Surgery. In addition, there are intensive
teaching programs for non-trainee medical officers in
various aspects of emergency care.
The department also provides training opportunities
in a structured manner for periods for up to 12 months
for doctors of Medical Officer equivalence and Registrar-equivalent
grade in both basic postgraduate training and in fellowship
training programs. At any one time the department is
capable of training up to 12 basic postgraduate trainees
and 6 advanced trainees or fellows. Consultants in the
department closely supervise the basic postgraduate
training program.
The Department is particularly strong in fellowship
training in Emergency Cardiac Care, Emergency Pre-hospital
Care, Emergency Toxicology and Emergency Observation
Medicine. The Disaster Medicine and Emergency Trauma
Care training programs are currently being reviewed
and placed on a structured footing. In addition, the
department has very strong and comprehensive Emergency
Nursing training programs and a very active Life Support
Training program.
The Department has recently been accredited by the
Specialist Accreditation Board and the Joint Committee
on Specialist Training for both basic and advanced specialist
training in Emergency Medicine. It is also a recognized
posting for basic post-graduate training in General
Medicine, General Surgery and Family Medicine.
SGH Emergency Department is the first emergency department
in Singapore to be actively involved in research. All
senior staff in the department is committed to research
as part of their duty as clinicians. Research coordinators
and research assistants are employed on a project basis.
The department is currently conducting research in the
fields of Emergency Cardiac Care, Emergency Toxicology,
Injury control, Emergency Pre-hospital care, Bronchial
asthma, Observation medicine and Abdominal Pain. Funding
for these projects come from various sources, viz. National
Medical Research Council, SingHealth cluster research
funds, Clinical Research Committee and pharmaceutical
companies. The department has also been involved in
local and international multi-centre collaborative trials.
Many of the products of the research undertaken in the
department have been published in local and international
peer-reviewed scientific journals.
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