The Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps is an organisation within the Singapore Armed Forces that provides medical services to the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy. The Medical Corps establishes policies and directs the full implementation of quality force health, medical force protection, operational support, medical information technology, medical manpower and logistics, as well as its medical inspectorate within the SAF.
History
The SAF Medical Corps can trace their origins back to 1901, with the formation of the ambulance and bearer section of the Singapore volunteer artillery when Singapore was still part of the Straits Settlements. Throughout British rule and World War II, the Military Medical Corps was largely made up of personnel who volunteered their services and was not a formal organisation part of the defence of Singapore until 1967, when the Senior Medical Officer's department was formed. In 1972, HQ Medical Services was established to oversee all military medical services and policies within the defence force and in 1974, the armed forces began recruitment of doctors for national service.
Part of the SAF Medical Corps is the SAF Medical Training Institute where national servicemen and women are trained in and equipped with the knowledge and skills to operate as Combat Medics and Combat Medic Specialists. Trained medics are then dispatched to the three services that provide medical support to the Army, Navy and Air Force:
The Military Medicine Institute is the specialised branch of the SAF Medical Corps that provides specialised medical/dental services and in-patient care to all national servicemen and servicewomen. MMI is also in charge of the operations of medical centres located in military bases across Singapore.
The Force Medical Protection Command was established to ensure medical protection against chemical, biological, radiological and occupational health hazards, with the end goal of enhancing the Singapore Armed Forces’ operational readiness. FMPC focuses on comprehensive prevention, early detection and effective medical response against chemical, biological and radiological threats. The Biodefence Centre identifies and institutes appropriate interventional measures for biological threats. It also manages infectious disease outbreaks and ensures that environmental and public health standards are maintained. The Medical Response Force provides frontline medical support to SAF troops during CBR incidents. The key accomplishments of FMPC include eliminating Malaria risk from Pulau Tekong in 2007, formulating the SAF pandemic response plan during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak in Singapore and managing the Zika virus outbreak in August 2016. Partners such as the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research also contribute to the SAF's ability to diagnose, detect and respond to infectious disease and biological threats.
