01 Jan 2011
When someone is rushed to Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) Accident and emergency department (A&E), one of the first people involved in his care is the pathologist.
The pathologist has to make a speedy assessment of his blood sample to help doctors determine how best to treat him.
“We provide test results in an accurate and timely manner, so doctors can diagnose and treat their patients appropriately,” said Ms Chong Swee Chin, Senior Medical Technologist, Department of Pathology, SGH.
It doesn’t matter when a specimen is needed as the clinical biochemistry laboratory in SGH’s Department of Pathology is open 24 hours a day, one of the few back room units that works through the night.
“Specimens may arrive from A&E and inpatient wards anytime, so we have to work round the clock,” she said.
For those on the night shift, requests from A&E, the high dependency and intensive care units are common.
Heart patients in ICU, for instance, need constant monitoring. This means blood samples are taken regularly to detect any change in the patient’s condition.
On any night shift, a small team of lab technologists tests close to 400 samples with varying degrees of urgency.
Urgent specimens from A&E have to be examined and ready within an hour.
Work normally peters out after midnight before it gets busy again at dawn.
“The peak is from 5.30am to 8.30am when we can receive some 200 samples, mostly to prepare for the doctors’ ward rounds early in the morning,” said Ms Chong.
Just two people work a 12-hour night duty that starts at 8.30pm, and lab staff may also be asked to work from 12pm to 8.30pm. Because the department is large, staff need to work either shift only two to three times a month. Most of the time, they work from 8.30am to 5.30pm.
While many people may baulk at having to work shifts, Ms Chong said: “I don’t mind. I can make use of the day to do as I like – for example, banking, shopping and attending to other personal matters (when these places are less crowded).”
What keeps this 13-year SGH veteran going is her passion for the job. “I was very interested in medical science when I was young, and I wanted to work in the healthcare industry after school,” she said.
The graduate from Taiwan’s National Yang Ming Medical College found a greater challenge in “a more specialised lab” in SGH after four years of “working in various pathology departments” in Malaysia.
She hopes more people will consider a career in the medical laboratory. “The healthcare industry in Singapore is growing because of the ageing population here.
“We are also seeing more patients from overseas coming to Singapore to seek quality treatment. There will be strong demand for medical technologists and it’s a good time for young people to join this profession,” she said.
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Dept of Pathology
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