According to the SCDF website, about 10% of all 995 calls each year are for non-emergencies such as constipation, toothaches, cough, and skin rashes. This can result in ambulances reaching emergency cases at a slower rate.
The SCDF categorises emergency cases as follows:
Source: SCDF
What many Singaporeans might not know is that there are private ambulances and transport services dedicated to serve non-emergency cases and provide other specialised services.
For instance, private ambulances can be a valuable option for people who need frequent transportation for medical purposes, such as dialysis, elder care, or therapy. It costs $85 to $110 per return trip.
Transport services, on the other hand, help ferry individuals such as the elderly or those who require the use of a wheelchair.
Here are the key differences between a public ambulance, a private ambulance, and transport services. The transport services selected are some of the most-established transport companies in Singapore.
|
Public Ambulance |
Non-Emergency Private Ambulance |
Transport Services |
|
|
Number to Call |
995 (or SMS 70995, a service specially catered for people who are deaf or have a speech impairment) |
1777 |
Singapore Red Cross: 6337 3333 Handicaps Welfare Association: 6254 3006 SilverFleet: You can view the full list of transport services here. |
|
Cost |
Free for emergency cases |
1-way transfer to A&E: $120 (office hours), $150 (after office hours) Discharge from hospital: $80 (office hours), $120 (after office hours) Maternity-related cases: $200 Psychiatric-related cases: $300 |
Singapore Red Cross: Round trip: $60 per pax (subsidies available) Add $50/hour for the option of having a medical chaperone throughout the trip Handicaps Welfare Association: One-way: $35, Stair-crawl device costs $8.50 per use |
|
Destination |
Patients will be conveyed to the closest designated restructured hospitals. Ambulance personnel will not consider requests to redirect patients to alternative hospitals.
|
You will be able to choose which hospital you want to be taken to. |
Upon confirming a booking, you will be able to choose your destination. |
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Specialised Services Provided By Private Ambulances
Private ambulances offer specialised services such as ambulance transfers from hospitals to airports or seaports (and vice versa) for a cost of $200 without tarmac or $600 with tarmac.
Similarly, a Singapore to Johor Bahru Hospital ground transfer within one hour from the checkpoint clearance costs $400.
If you feel more comfortable with a staff nurse on board the ambulance, you will have to call 1777 to enquire on the cost. There will be a ventilator and monitoring equipment to fetch the patient from the hospital to home (and vice versa).
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Use The Right Service For The Situation
Conserving public resources is critical to ensure that emergency cases are always prioritised. Using the services of a private ambulance or transport companies for frequent medical transportation will give great convenience.
If you know that your case is clearly a non-emergency, avoid calling an emergency ambulance. With that said, if you are unsure if your case is an emergency or non-emergency, you can contact the SCDF and explain your situation in detail, and they will advise you on the next step of action accordingly.
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