Guardians of Safety at NHCS

By Amy Weng

Every day at NHCS, dedicated professionals work quietly behind the scenes to safeguard patient safety and staff well-being. While their roles may not be on the frontlines, their contributions are no less important.

Among them are Muhammad Zulfathi Bin Mohamed Amir (“Zul”), Manager, Operations (Support Services), and Nur Sabrina Binte Lokman, Senior Assistant Manager, Quality Assurance & Risk Management (QARM). As recipients of the SingHealth Excellence Awards 2026, they exemplify how excellence in healthcare extends beyond direct patient care.

Creating a Safer, Healthier and More Supportive Environment

Many colleagues know Zul through the numerous staff engagement initiatives he had a hand in organising, such as Dinner & Dance and Global Diversity Day, among many others.

“Everything started when I joined the Healthy Lifestyle Committee as my department’s representative,” he shares. “As I like sports, I found myself enjoying organising the activities. Over time, people saw that I was good at it and one thing led to another!”

(L-R): Zul (brown costume, centre, last row) with the Dinner & Dance 2024 Organising Committee; Engaging with participants at the Bowling Tournament organised by the Healthy Lifestyle Committee.

Staff activities aside, Zul’s journey into healthcare began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just a month into the role, he was called to assist with a distressed inpatient who refused to return to the ward after a scan. During the encounter, the patient suddenly removed his mask and spat at him.

Despite feeling shocked at what happened, Zul remained calm. He approached the patient with empathy, reassured him and was eventually able to guide him safely back to the ward. “That incident taught me the importance of adapting to situations and using empathy and de-escalation techniques to achieve the best possible outcome,” he recalls. “In healthcare, being able to put yourself in another’s shoe is very important because patients are already feeling unwell and vulnerable.”

(L-R): Zul conducting a simulated security exercise with clinics and wards; Leading a disease outbreak exercise to ensure operational preparedness.

Today, Zul’s work encompasses the larger safety and security of NHCS, from conducting regular ground rounds and engaging security officers, to playing a key role in implementing AI-enabled surveillance systems and autonomous security robots to support frontline operations.  

“The purpose of these ground rounds is visibility and engagement,” he explains. “Sometimes staff may not immediately send an email or make a call when issues arise. They may feel more comfortable approaching me directly during these rounds.”

The autonomous security robot was deployed in 2025 as part of SingHealth’s broader technology transformation efforts to better support routine monitoring whilst enabling officers to focus on situations that require empathy, judgment, and human interaction.

With his amicable nature, Zul also serves as an integral member in the Staff Protection Office in implementing measures to mitigate abuse and harassment, and supporting staff through difficult encounters with patients or visitors. “Hearing what a fellow colleague had gone through motivates me to do more in the wellness space,” he says. “If I can help create moments where staff feel appreciated and supported, then it’s worth it.

”Reflecting on the cherished moments during his career so far, Zul shares that some of the most meaningful moments come from seeing colleagues simply enjoying themselves outside of work pressures.

“Through sports and wellness activities, I saw how staff could temporarily step away from work and just enjoy themselves as individuals rather than as doctors, nurses, or administrators,” he says. “Witnessing their looks of relaxation and having fun bonding with one another, gives me a strong sense of satisfaction.”

Strengthening Safety Through Systems Improvement

While Zul works largely on the ground, Sabrina’s contributions often take place behind the scenes through quality improvement and risk management. When incidents such as tube dislodgements, specimen-related errors, or surgical complications occur, Sabrina is part of the team responsible for reviewing, investigating, and identifying opportunities for improvement.

“I believe there is always something to learn from every incident,” Sabrina shares. “Incident reporting helps build a strong safety culture within the organisation - one where staff feel safe to report incidents without fear of punishment, and that is vital for patient safety.”

Sabrina taking down key notes during a leadership patient safety walkaround at Ward 56. These regular walkarounds provide a platform for frontline staff to engage directly with leadership about safety concerns and improvement opportunities.

Sabrina has contributed to numerous initiatives that have strengthened NHCS’s safety and quality processes. One project she remembers particularly well began with an article shared during a department huddle on the quality of recommendations arising from root cause analyses. The team subsequently reviewed how recommendations could be categorised as “strong”, “intermediate”, or “weak”, with the aim of encouraging more sustainable, system-level improvements rather than solutions focused solely on individual actions.

“It helped shift the focus away from blaming individuals and towards improving systems and organisational processes,” she explains. “It also laid the groundwork for incorporating human factors analysis into our work today.”

Sabrina and her supervisor Vasantha Gopal, Senior Assistant Director, Quality Assurance & Risk Management, with a poster showcasing QARM's enterprise risk management reviews on the ECMO circuit. These proactive risk assessments help identify potential safety concerns before implementation of new processes or equipment.

Another milestone she is particularly proud of was serving as the NHCS liaison for the rollout of SingHealth’s new incident reporting system. “The project was multi-faceted, involving coordination, training, awareness-building, implementation monitoring, and gathering feedback after rollout,” she recalls. “Going from usually in the back office to being involved in a large-scale implementation project, was an invaluable experience!”

On the credentialing front, Sabrina also led process improvements that reduced processing time for re-privileging exercises by 80 per cent, demonstrating how systematic improvements can significantly enhance operational efficiency. Re-privileging refers to the periodic review and renewal of doctors' clinical privileges ie. their authorization to perform specific procedures.

Sabrina finds great meaning in the collaborative nature of her work, particularly during multidisciplinary discussions involving clinicians, nurses, and allied health professionals. “I find it very satisfying to work with different healthcare professionals and eventually see ideas and changes get implemented,” she shares. “These discussions help ensure that the solutions are practical and can be applied effectively across departments.”

(L-R) Sabrina with her colleagues at Global Diversity Day; A Christmas team bonding gathering with her department.

“Although our work largely takes place behind the scenes and the changes may not always be immediately visible, it still contributes to patient safety and patient care,” she reflects. “Whether conducting incident investigations, facilitating multidisciplinary discussions, or identifying organisational risks, the work eventually leads to safer practices and better outcomes.”

Supporting Care Beyond the Frontlines

Zul and Sabrina represent the many faces whose work quietly supports the safe and smooth running of NHCS every day. Whether through staff engagement, operational safety, or risk management, their contributions enable quality patient care and experience.

Congratulations once again to Zul and Sabrina, as well as all recipients of the SHEA Awards 2026!