Jolene (front row, extreme right corner) with her fellow engineers from SGH Biomedical Engineering department

Jolene Ho has spent more than a decade keeping life-saving equipment safe and reliable – and she even loves writing the tender specs most people dread.

When Jolene Ho walked into Temasek Polytechnic’s Open House years ago, she had no idea what course to choose. Then she stumbled upon Biomedical Engineering — a blend of biology, IT, and electronics. “I thought, why not?” she recalls. That decision set her on a path that would lead to Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technological University and a career she never imagined.

Her talent showed early. Jolene was nominated for WorldSkills Singapore in the Electronics category, ranking Top 9 out of 23 participants — and she was the only girl in the Top 10. Today, she is a Biomedical Engineer at SGH, and after more than a decade, she still finds her work exciting.

The joy of writing tender specs

Most people dread drafting procurement specifications. Jolene loves it. “I really like writing equipment tender specifications,” she says with a laugh. “This way, I get exposed to all kinds of equipment. I learn what each is used for, why we need it in SGH, and how technology has progressed.” She has seen AI-powered endoscopy systems that help isolate suspicious areas — proof of how fast medical technology is advancing.

She writes 236 equipment tenders a year. Some take 30 minutes; others require half a day of research, brochures, and vendor calls. For Jolene, every spec is a chance to learn.

Behind the scenes: Keeping SGH running

Jolene is part of a 28-member team managing more than 26,000 pieces of medical equipment across SGH. Their work goes far beyond paperwork. They repair broken machines, perform preventive maintenance, and commission new equipment before it reaches our patients.

Intern Nur Amelia Bte Roslan, Biomedical Engineering, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, soldering a motherboard

From swapping tiny components on a motherboard to calibrating blood pressure monitors, their work ensures patient safety. Says Jolene, “We calibrate blood pressure machines every year. If they are not accurate, they might show a patient’s pressure as low when it is not — and that leads to wrong clinical decisions.”

“Any equipment that plugs into a wall socket will have some electrical leakage,” Jolene explains. “We test the leakage current to make sure it is safe. If it is too high, there is a risk of electric shock.”

Challenges and rewards

Writing specs for laboratory equipment is toughest for Jolene. “Laboratory equipment is very clinically driven, and I am not clinically trained. I really have to observe how users work and talk to them about their processes.” When she first joined, everything was new — she learnt on the job, reading manuals and asking vendors for advice.

Lim Gui Ann, Assistant Biomedical Engineer, using a manometer to calibrate a blood pressure machine

“Another challenge is working with demanding users,” she adds. “Doctors and nurses work fast. They may bring in a new piece of equipment today and need to use it tomorrow. But our KPI for commissioning is two weeks! We cannot ask them to reschedule surgeries, so we adjust our schedule, bring in the vendor and just get it done.” 

Despite the challenges, Jolene has stayed for more than a decade. “SGH is such a large hospital with so many specialties that I am constantly exposed to new types of equipment. There is always something different to learn or troubleshoot — because of that, my job is never boring.”

Whilst it is true that engineering is a male-dominated profession, Jolene shares that, “In our department the ratio is about 60% male and 40% female.” 

And with a grin, she adds, “We are hiring.”

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