Academic literature on the topic 'Singapore. Volunteer Corps'

Introduction:Civil emergencies occurring with little warning can quickly produce mass casualties. To develop an Emergency Department’s surge capacity, medical student involvement in the disaster response has been advocated. Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore is located in proximity to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and represents an untapped manpower resource. With appropriate training, medical students can be leveraged upon as ready and reasonably qualified manpower.Aim:This review provides a snapshot of the conceptualization and setting up of the Disaster Volunteer Corps (DVC) program. We discuss the overall strategy and benefits to stakeholders, emphasizing the close symbiotic relationship between academia and healthcare services.Methods:Duke-NUS medical students will be recruited to receive training from SGH emergency physicians. The frequency of training will be four times yearly, with ad hoc participation in disaster simulation exercises. A call-tree will be employed for DVC activation. The DVC curriculum includes disaster response principles, HAZMAT, crowd control, marshaling, logistics, psychological support, and basic first aid. Teaching methods include didactic lectures, case discussions, involvement in event medical cover, and participation in disaster simulation exercises and response planning.Results:To date, there are 10 medical students and four emergency physician faculty volunteers involved in the program. Support is provided by adjunct instructors from nursing, nuclear medicine, social work, and security, for training in decontamination, radiological disasters, psychological first aid, and crowd control measures respectively. Assessment by faculty will be conducted to ensure the quality of training and competency of skills.Discussion:The DVC provides a unique way of teaching medical students disaster medicine principles in a hands-on experiential format, while simultaneously enhancing the operational readiness of the hospital in times of disaster. This model of close collaboration between university educational and healthcare services provides a feasible model of structured volunteerism that could be replicated in other similar settings.

Introduction:Mass casualty incidents result in mass casualties at short notice and stress healthcare systems. Research shows the critical potential role laypersons have by providing time critical intervention, on-scene, while awaiting arrival of emergency services, thus reducing mortality.This study aims to demonstrate the attitudes of laypersons to responding to mass casualty incidents in Singapore.Method:Laypersons were invited to participate in a pilot course aimed at training laypersons principles and interventions for mass casualty incidents. This was developed by the Disaster Volunteer Corps of Singapore General Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine. Respondents were invited to answer a questionnaire which aimed to explore knowledge and prior experiences, willingness, attitudes, and readiness. Descriptive statistics were analyzed, and free-text responses were categorized into various headings by theme.Results:A total of 29/30 course enrollees responded to the questionnaire. Twenty (69%) participants were female. The median age was 50 years old (IQR 35-56.5). Most of the participants were employed (82.7%) and were Singapore Citizens (89.7%).65.5% had no previous experience with first aid, and none had experience with MCIs. Understanding of mass casualty incidents was poorly understood, 1.42/5 (±0.56).Respondents were most willing to assist in conventional disasters as compared to other types. Competency in voluntary role and altruism were the most important motivators as compared to compensation which was the least.Overall, there is a high understanding that Singapore is at risk of disasters but most respondents do not have emergency plans in place for disaster situations.Conclusion:This study shows that while laypersons are willing, most do not have the knowledge or experience to respond to mass casualty incidents. This mirrors previous studies in Singapore relating to attitudes and knowledge of laypersons to CPR and AED.More research and intervention is needed into the attitudes and willingness of members of public and mass casualty incidents.

Background and context: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) global atlas which maps palliative care needs worldwide, just over 50% of the palliative care needs reside in Asia. Development of palliative care services in Asia is patchy, with a few high income countries, such as Singapore and Japan, with palliative care services integrated into the health system. In the vast majority of countries, particularly low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), such services are lacking or only available in a few centers. Aim: To develop palliative care services in countries with no services. Strategy/Tactics: The Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) is a nongovernmental organization which supports the development of palliative care in the Asia Pacific region. Since 2012 , it has developed a comprehensive program to build capacity for palliative care in several countries in the region, including Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Program/Policy process: Coconceptualized and funded by the Lien Foundation, the APHN sends interdisciplinary teams of volunteer faculty to these countries to run a training of trainers program over a period of three years. Major tertiary institutions were chosen as partners, with the understanding that palliative care services would be set up once a team had been trained. An interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, social workers and pharmacists from each institution went through the training program together. Individuals with potential to become champions for palliative care in these countries were given further training through a clinical fellowship program at established institutions in the region. During the training participants would be expected to start palliative care services in their institutions, which will become training centers for palliative care in the future. Concomitantly, a program of advocacy for medications essential for palliative care, such as oral morphine, was also undertaken. Outcomes: Six modules of the training course were completed in each of the three countries. A corps of 20 to 30 master trainers completed the training. In each of those countries, one or more palliative care services were started in major tertiary teaching hospitals. Oral morphine availability was greatly enhanced. The master trainers organized training within their hospitals, and also for the public. Other outcomes include the recognition of palliative care as a specialty, the introduction of palliative care into undergraduate medical and nursing curricula, and development of postgraduate courses in palliative care. What was learned: It was important to target institutions which were willing establish palliative care services. An interdisciplinary group of faculty was able to teach and inspire the trainees to take up the discipline. A drug availability program was essential to provide the tools to work with.

Konfrontasi Indonesia-Malaysia merupakan peristiwa sejarah yang disebabkan karena pemerintahan Republik Indonesia di bawah Presiden Soekarno menolak pembentukan negara federasi Malaysia pada 31 Agustus 1963. Bagi Soekarno hal tersebut merupakan penghinaan terhadap cita cita revolusi Indonesia sebagaimana Federasi Malaysia merupakan bentukan Inggris dan produk dari paham Neo-Kolonialisme Imperialisme yang Bung Karno sangat tentang. Oleh karenanya, Soekarno menyerukan “Ganyang Malaysia” dan mengerahkan kekuatan militer Indonesia untuk menggempur Malaysia dengan cara membuka pendaftaran calon sukarelawan. Salah satu di antara orang yang mendaftarkan diri adalah Harun Tohir. Kelak, beliau akan melaksanakan operasi bersifat klandestin yang akan membawa dampak besar terhadap Singapura. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk memahami peran Harun dalam operasi klandestin pada konfrontasi Indonesia-Malaysia dan dampak dari operasi Harun Tohir di Singapura pada masa konfrontasi. Selain itu, penelitian ini akan menggunakan pendekatan sejarah dan akan memakai metode sejarah yang terdiri dari empat tahapan, yakni heuristik, kritik, interpretasi, dan historiografi. Untuk tahap heuristik, sumber yang diperoleh merupakan sumber primer yang berupa dokumen dari Pusat Penerangan Marinir, sedangkan sumber sekunder diperoleh dari buku dan jurnal dengan topik serupa serta wawancara. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Harun Tohir melakukan operasi klandestin dengan cara menyusup ke wilayah Singapura dan melakukan peledakkan terhadap gedung Macdonald House. Hal tersebut dilakukan dalam rangka membuat Malaysia dan sekutunya menjadi geger. Akibat aksinya, beliau tertangkap dan dihukum oleh Pemerintah Singapura berupa hukuman mati. Hal inilah yang membuat pemerintah Indonesia sampai bernegosiasi dengan pemerintah Singapura dalam rangka membebaskan Harun Tohir bersama rekannya Usman Janatin dari jeratan hukuman mati.Kata Kunci : Harun Tohir; konfrontasi Indonesia-Malaysia; operasi Klandestin; Abtract Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation was a historical event that caused by Republic of Indonesia’s government under President Soekarno reject the formation of Federal State of Malaysia on 31st August 1963. For Soekarno, such thing was an insult towards the dream of Indonesian revolution as Malaysian Federation was formed by the British and a product of Neo-colonialism and imperialism that Soekarno against. Therefore, Soekarno exclaims “Destroy Malaysia” and deploy Indonesian military power in order to defeat Malaysia by opening a recruitment for volunteer’s candidate. One of the people that registered himself was Harun Tohir. Later, he would conduct a clandestine operation that brought big effect towards Singapore. The purpose of this research is to understand Harun's role in clandestine operation during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and the impact of Harun Tohir's operation in Singapore during the confrontation. In addition, this study will use a historical approach and will use historical method that consist of four steps which are heuristics, criticism, interpretation, and historiography. For the heuristic step, the sources obtained are primary sources in the form of documents from the Marine Corps Information Center, while secondary sources are obtained from books and journals with similar topics and interviews. The research results showed that Harun Tohir carried out a clandestine operation by infiltrating to Singapore territory and exploding the Macdonald House building. This was done in order to make Malaysia and its allies become agitated. As a result of his actions, he was arrested and sentenced by the Government of Singapore in form of death penalty. This is what prompted the Indonesian government to negotiate with the Singaporean government in order to save Harun Tohir and his colleague Usman Janatin from the death penalty.Keywords: Harun Tohir; Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation; Clandestine operation

Abstract Between 1963 and 1992, the British army helped to keep the peace in Europe while waging numerous little wars elsewhere. Its strength declined from 170,000 to 153,000. Its capabilities were enhanced by excellent equipment which could be used as effectively in Europe as it could in the South Atlantic or Arabia. Although small the army led the world in experience. Its soldiers saw much active service as the campaign medals on their tunics showed. Composed entirely of volunteers, organized in regi-ments and corps with fiercely guarded tradition and spirit, it spread itself round the world and adapted itself to tasks as various as those in Cyprus, Belize, Borneo, the Falkland Islands, Arabia, Northern Ireland, and BAOR. In 1963 Macmillan’s Government argued that the Suez crisis had emphasized Britain’s economic weakness. Military expenditure would have to be cut. This meant reducing overseas commitments. Moreover, it was decided to end national service. These measures were given effect by the Sandys White Paper of 1957, and determined the army’s composition in the early 1960s. There was still much for the now all-regular army to do. In all 55,000 troops made up the British Army of the Rhine. In June 1961, 6,000 soldiers had been sent to Kuwait to meet a threat from Iraq. British forces were still committed in 1963 to support Aden’s joining the Federation of South Arabia. There were bases in Kenya, Hong Kong, Malaya, and Singapore. The British army was soon to be heavily engaged in both the Middle East and Far East.