A SEARCH was launched yesterday for mature, friendly and empathetic Singaporeans to fill more than 300 vacancies in the new hospital in Yishun, the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).
The positions are for housekeeping staff and patient assistants, who will help in the operating theatres, provide financial counselling and transport patients, among other duties.
KTPH, run by public-health group Alexandra Health, will open in phases. Its specialist outpatient clinics will start operating on March 28 next year, followed by the acute and emergency care centre and inpatient wards in September.
It will need about 2,500 staff members. Most of Alexandra Hospital's current 1,700 employees will move over in about nine months' time.
At the recruitment exercise yesterday, staff from the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) - a skills-based institute for jobseekers, employers and training providers initiated by the National Trades Union Congress - screened jobseekers.
They shortlisted some for interviews with Alexandra Health to be held at a job fair, which will be on two weeks later.
Most of the 400 jobseekers who turned up yesterday were aged over 40, and lived in the area.
Those who were deemed not up to the mark yet were referred to attend e2i courses, which will prepare them for the jobs.
The courses are fully subsidised for citizens and permanent residents by the Government and e2i.
The courses, which range from two to five days, will cover communication skills and hygiene habits, among other things.
What is more important is having the right "can do" spirit and the willingness to learn and to promote a healthy lifestyle, said Alexandra Health's chief executive, Mr Liak Teng Lit.
Jobseeker Brenda Tan, 38, a former preschool teacher, decided to apply for a role in serving patients, as the last two years she spent caring for her sickly father after quitting her job helped her realise that "caring for others is immensely rewarding".
The next recruitment exercise for jobs in the hospital will be held in January next year. For more details, call the e2i hotline on 6474-3777.
- mypaper
Showing posts with label medical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical. Show all posts
Oct 31, 2009
Seeking 1,500 medical staff
THE health-care sector is going on a year-end recruitment drive to fill 1,500 positions at two new hospitals by March next year.
Wanted: people from doctors to nurses and occupational therapists.
Some 600 of the jobs are available at the 550-bed Khoo Teck Puat Hospital which opens in Yishun in March next year.
The core team for the new hospital will come from Alexandra Hospital (AH).
Ms Fatimah Moideen Kutty, AH's deputy director of human resource, said part of its recruitment strategy has been to target residents in the north.
In the last two years, it managed to hire about 300 people in Yishun.
- The Straits Times
Wanted: people from doctors to nurses and occupational therapists.
Some 600 of the jobs are available at the 550-bed Khoo Teck Puat Hospital which opens in Yishun in March next year.
The core team for the new hospital will come from Alexandra Hospital (AH).
Ms Fatimah Moideen Kutty, AH's deputy director of human resource, said part of its recruitment strategy has been to target residents in the north.
In the last two years, it managed to hire about 300 people in Yishun.
- The Straits Times
Sep 9, 2009
450 new jobs in med-tech
SINGAPORE'S medical-technology industry doubled its manufacturing output and employment between 2000 and 2008, according to statistics released on Wednesday by the Economic Development Board (EDB).
The sector, often overshadowed by its larger pharmaceutical sibling, had a manufacturing output of $2.9billion last year, up from $1.5 billion in 2000, when Singapore began its biomedical sciences push.
In comparison, the pharmaceutical sector produced $16.1 billion in output and employed over 4,000 last year, up from $4.8 billion and about 2,000 jobs in 2000.
Medical technology refers to devices and technologies like contact lenses, pacemakers and research instruments.
For example, 10 per cent of the world's contact lenses are made in Singapore by firms such as Ciba Vision, Essilor and Alcon.
The industry's main driver is worldwide spending on healthcare, such as on an ageing population.
Often, it is manufacturing and labour-intensive, and employs two-thirds of the workers in biomedical manufacturing. Last year, it employed over 8,200 workers, up from under 4,000 eight years ago.
This year, it is set to contribute half of the 900 new jobs in biomedical sciences.
A substantial number of these will come from new investments. At least two of these, of significant value to Singapore's medical technology sector, will be announced in October, the EDB said.
'In spite of the recession this year, there continue to be projects being announced,' said Mr Beh Kian Teik, director of its biomedical sciences cluster.
The sector is aiming for $5 billion in manufacturing output by 2015, EDB added.
= The Straits Times
The sector, often overshadowed by its larger pharmaceutical sibling, had a manufacturing output of $2.9billion last year, up from $1.5 billion in 2000, when Singapore began its biomedical sciences push.
In comparison, the pharmaceutical sector produced $16.1 billion in output and employed over 4,000 last year, up from $4.8 billion and about 2,000 jobs in 2000.
Medical technology refers to devices and technologies like contact lenses, pacemakers and research instruments.
For example, 10 per cent of the world's contact lenses are made in Singapore by firms such as Ciba Vision, Essilor and Alcon.
The industry's main driver is worldwide spending on healthcare, such as on an ageing population.
Often, it is manufacturing and labour-intensive, and employs two-thirds of the workers in biomedical manufacturing. Last year, it employed over 8,200 workers, up from under 4,000 eight years ago.
This year, it is set to contribute half of the 900 new jobs in biomedical sciences.
A substantial number of these will come from new investments. At least two of these, of significant value to Singapore's medical technology sector, will be announced in October, the EDB said.
'In spite of the recession this year, there continue to be projects being announced,' said Mr Beh Kian Teik, director of its biomedical sciences cluster.
The sector is aiming for $5 billion in manufacturing output by 2015, EDB added.
= The Straits Times
Mar 9, 2009
More people seeking psychiatric help for recession blues
Recession woes have affected many Singaporeans and for some, losing sleep over the economy could turn out to be something more serious.
Private clinics said they are seeing more patients with recession-related mood problems, with some doctors getting 50 per cent more cases compared to two years ago.
These problems can range from anxiety attacks, insomnia, to more severe problems like depression.
Dr Adrian Wang, consultant psychiatrist, Dr Adrian Wang Psychiatric & Counselling Care, said: "When a person loses his job, the person loses part of his identity. All your life, you've been told you're a banker, you're a doctor, you're a lawyer, you're an office administrator and when that's taken away from you, suddenly you feel like you're questioning your own abilities."
Most of the patients affected by recession blues are in their late 20s to early 40s. Dr Wang said this is because people in that age group are at the most productive stage in their careers.
It is also the most vulnerable period as these people have many commitments, such as mortgages and car loans, which depend heavily on a steady stream of income.
Although women are more likely to develop depression, Dr Wang said he is seeing an increase in the number of male patients suffering from the condition.
Although feeling stressed out about work is a normal reaction, psychologists and counsellors said it becomes a problem when it makes a person lose his ability to function properly and causes disruption to his day-to-day activities like eating and sleeping.
For foreign students and migrant workers, having a limited social network may worsen their condition.
"Sometimes, the loss of employment or the loss of income is the trigger point to a serious or major depressive episode. When a serious event happens at your work environment, it can have a very jarring effect on your sense of reality – of what's right, what's wrong and what's going to happen in the future," Dr Wang said.
Several online blogs have speculated that the death of Zhou Zheng, a project officer at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), last Saturday could be related to the shocking incident at the university last Monday when 21-year-old David Widjaja stabbed a lecturer before ending his own life.
However, the university has dismissed these claims. NTU said its counselling centre has seen an increase of about five to six cases since those incidents occurred.
- Channel News Asia
Private clinics said they are seeing more patients with recession-related mood problems, with some doctors getting 50 per cent more cases compared to two years ago.
These problems can range from anxiety attacks, insomnia, to more severe problems like depression.
Dr Adrian Wang, consultant psychiatrist, Dr Adrian Wang Psychiatric & Counselling Care, said: "When a person loses his job, the person loses part of his identity. All your life, you've been told you're a banker, you're a doctor, you're a lawyer, you're an office administrator and when that's taken away from you, suddenly you feel like you're questioning your own abilities."
Most of the patients affected by recession blues are in their late 20s to early 40s. Dr Wang said this is because people in that age group are at the most productive stage in their careers.
It is also the most vulnerable period as these people have many commitments, such as mortgages and car loans, which depend heavily on a steady stream of income.
Although women are more likely to develop depression, Dr Wang said he is seeing an increase in the number of male patients suffering from the condition.
Although feeling stressed out about work is a normal reaction, psychologists and counsellors said it becomes a problem when it makes a person lose his ability to function properly and causes disruption to his day-to-day activities like eating and sleeping.
For foreign students and migrant workers, having a limited social network may worsen their condition.
"Sometimes, the loss of employment or the loss of income is the trigger point to a serious or major depressive episode. When a serious event happens at your work environment, it can have a very jarring effect on your sense of reality – of what's right, what's wrong and what's going to happen in the future," Dr Wang said.
Several online blogs have speculated that the death of Zhou Zheng, a project officer at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), last Saturday could be related to the shocking incident at the university last Monday when 21-year-old David Widjaja stabbed a lecturer before ending his own life.
However, the university has dismissed these claims. NTU said its counselling centre has seen an increase of about five to six cases since those incidents occurred.
- Channel News Asia
Jan 20, 2009
Hospital subsidy: Layoffs taken into account
THE Health Ministry will give the maximum subsidy to hospital patients who have been laid off.
For those who have had a wage cut, the subsidy level will still be based on the average wage figures reported to the Central Provident Fund Board in the past 12 months - which will include the last drawn salary, a Health Ministry spokesman told The Straits Times yesterday.
She was elaborating on Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan's written reply to Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC), the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, on the criteria for means testing during the current recession.
In Mr Khaw's reply to Parliament, released yesterday, he said his ministry would take into account the new economic situation of workers who were laid off or suffered pay cuts when deciding on the level of subsidy for hospital patients.
'Retrenched (workers) and workers suffering pay cuts should not be adversely affected by means testing,' he said.
With means testing in place since Jan 1, anyone, rich or poor, can opt for the most highly subsidised ward classes, but the better-off will receive less financial help from the Government.
Singaporeans earning on average $3,200 and less a month get the full 80 per cent subsidy in C-class wards and 65 per cent in B2 class.
Those earning $5,201 or more get the minimum subsidy of 65 per cent in C class and 50 per cent in B2 class.
Madam Halimah had asked whether the ministry would review its practice of relying on average earnings over 12 months to set the level of subsidy, given that people might have had pay cuts.
Mr Khaw said it would continue this practice for 'practical reasons'.
However, Singaporean workers who had a significant change in wages in recent months will have their cases taken into account, but the patients will need to show proof, with documents, he added.
While a retrenched person will receive the full subsidy, a person with no income for more than the 12-month period will have his subsidy rate pegged to the value of his home.
He will get the maximum subsidy unless he lives in a home with an annual value exceeding $11,000. Almost every HDB home is valued below $11,000.
All jobless residents of HDB flats - excluding executive condominiums - are entitled to the full subsidy.
Mr David Ang, general manager of the Singapore Professionals' and Executives' Co-operative, feels the approach may cause grief to some professionals. He noted that jobless people living in big homes might not qualify for the full subsidy.
In his reply, Mr Khaw said 91 per cent of patients opting for B2- and C-class wards received the maximum subsidy, while the rest, belonging to the higher-income group, continue to be 'heavily subsidised'.
'The design parameters have been deliberately set to be generous,' he said.
- The Straits Times
For those who have had a wage cut, the subsidy level will still be based on the average wage figures reported to the Central Provident Fund Board in the past 12 months - which will include the last drawn salary, a Health Ministry spokesman told The Straits Times yesterday.
She was elaborating on Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan's written reply to Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC), the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, on the criteria for means testing during the current recession.
In Mr Khaw's reply to Parliament, released yesterday, he said his ministry would take into account the new economic situation of workers who were laid off or suffered pay cuts when deciding on the level of subsidy for hospital patients.
'Retrenched (workers) and workers suffering pay cuts should not be adversely affected by means testing,' he said.
With means testing in place since Jan 1, anyone, rich or poor, can opt for the most highly subsidised ward classes, but the better-off will receive less financial help from the Government.
Singaporeans earning on average $3,200 and less a month get the full 80 per cent subsidy in C-class wards and 65 per cent in B2 class.
Those earning $5,201 or more get the minimum subsidy of 65 per cent in C class and 50 per cent in B2 class.
Madam Halimah had asked whether the ministry would review its practice of relying on average earnings over 12 months to set the level of subsidy, given that people might have had pay cuts.
Mr Khaw said it would continue this practice for 'practical reasons'.
However, Singaporean workers who had a significant change in wages in recent months will have their cases taken into account, but the patients will need to show proof, with documents, he added.
While a retrenched person will receive the full subsidy, a person with no income for more than the 12-month period will have his subsidy rate pegged to the value of his home.
He will get the maximum subsidy unless he lives in a home with an annual value exceeding $11,000. Almost every HDB home is valued below $11,000.
All jobless residents of HDB flats - excluding executive condominiums - are entitled to the full subsidy.
Mr David Ang, general manager of the Singapore Professionals' and Executives' Co-operative, feels the approach may cause grief to some professionals. He noted that jobless people living in big homes might not qualify for the full subsidy.
In his reply, Mr Khaw said 91 per cent of patients opting for B2- and C-class wards received the maximum subsidy, while the rest, belonging to the higher-income group, continue to be 'heavily subsidised'.
'The design parameters have been deliberately set to be generous,' he said.
- The Straits Times
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)