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Repurposing: A Great Way To Cope With The COVID-19 Crisis
COVID-19 may have turned our world upside down, but life still goes on. Though it's not quite business as usual, repurposing existing resources and talent has proved to be an efficient way of coping with this crisis. Here are some ways we've adapted as a society.
Repurposing talent
With the ongoing CB lockdown, many people have found themselves unable to continue working during this period, especially if their job isn't one that can be done from home.
However, some have instead found their skillsets being repurposed for much-needed manpower during this COVID-19 crisis. For example, cabin crew from now-grounded airlines like Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and FlyScoot are being trained as Care Ambassadors for hospitals.
Nurse Educator Noormazreen Maswan says: "The Care Ambassadors struck me as very professional and proactive. They are very aware of the surrounding and they always anticipate the needs of those around them."
SIA Flight Stewardess Ms Lai Fooi Mun says: "I believe... the skills that I've acquired over the last 10 years as a cabin crew, could be used effectively in this new role."
The cabin crew members who are now working as Patient Care Ambassadors at Changi General Hospital undergo comprehensive training in various areas such as Infection Control practices to better manage patients' needs.
Repurposing vehicles
Transferring skillsets is one thing, but how about transforming our vehicles? These wheels are now used to improve efficiency when it comes to medical testing, transportation of healthcare personnel and other COVID-19 related operations.
These SMRT buses have been transformed into COVID-19 Multi-Passenger Enhanced Transporters (COMET MAXIs), which are used for the mass transfer of passengers between facilities, including hospitals and dormitories.
Meet the Mobile Swab Station (MSS), which combines the SAF's Cross Country Ambulance with the Singapore Swab Assurance for Everyone system to make swab testing quicker, safer and more efficient.
Repurposing buildings
Once used for their own purposes, these buildings have now been transformed into community isolation facilities.
Starting from 25 April, Changi Exhibition Centre has been repurposed into a Community Care Facility (CCF) to house recovering or early COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms who do not require significant medical care.
Meanwhile, Singapore Expo & Max Atria, which was also repurposed into a CCF, has introduced enhanced safety measures such as the SafeEntry check-in system and deployment of Safe Distancing Ambassadors to enhance the CCF's already stringent levels of hygiene and infection control.
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