The SAF Medical Training Institute (SMTI) is a military medicine training institute under the Army Medical Service within the

SAF Medical Corps The Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps (SAF Medical Corps) is the medical corps of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) that provides medical services to the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Medical Corps establishes policies and directs the full imp ...

. As part of the medical corps, the institute oversees the medical vocational training for SAF service members under the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

, as well as the

Singapore Civil Defence Force The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed organisation in Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs that provides emergency services such as firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency med ...

History

SMTI has been the home of the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A component of the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), Ministry of D ...

(SAF) medic since its early days as the Medical Orderlies Training School (1966-1968) and the School of Military Medicine (1968-2006). SMTI's primary role is to provide training for medical vocationalists to meet the operational and peacetime requirements of the SAF, producing medical personnel (e.g. Medical Officers, Dental Officers, Nursing Officers and Medics) to attend to all the healthcare needs of SAF servicemembers. On 7 March 1998, the Singaporean military institute's Paramedic Training Programme was awarded accreditation by the Paramedic Academy of the

Justice Institute of British Columbia Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) is a public, post-secondary educational institution in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, that is focused on training professionals in the justice, public safety and social services fields. JI ...

(JIBC). SMTI's Paramedic Training Programme, a collaborative project between the SAF and SCDF, was officially launched by Mr Matthias Yao (Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and National Development) and Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee (Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Home Affairs) on 15 July 1996.

Training structure

The institute prides itself in equipping servicemembers fresh from

Basic Military Training Centre The Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) is a military training facility of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). It comprises five schools organised into three camps, of which two are based on Pulau Tekong, an island off the northeast coast of ma ...

(BMTC) and

Specialist Cadet School The Specialist Cadet School (SCS, zh, 见习士官学府, , ) is the military training centre for the Singapore Armed Forces' specialists, the equivalent of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in other countries' armed forces. Made up of twelve ...

(SCS) with the knowledge and skills to operate as Combat Medics and Combat Medic Specialists. Trainees undergo a 12-week Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) programme which comprises theory and practical lessons on topics ranging from patient assessment to multiple casualty management in the military context, as well as the operating of medical equipment (e.g.

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

resuscitator A resuscitator is a device using positive pressure to inflate the lungs of an unconscious person who is not breathing, in order to keep them oxygenated and alive. There are three basic types: a ''manual'' version (also known as a ''bag valve mask ...

automated external defibrillator An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac Heart arrhythmia, arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able ...

Intravenous Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutr ...

(IV) cannulation is a key competency and all trainees are required to perform a total of 8 successful live IV cannulations to graduate. Upon graduation, it is mandatory for Combat Medics and Combat Medic Specialists to pass the Annual Medic Proficiency Test (AMPT) during active service and the annual Medical Vocational Training (MVT) during Operationally-Ready National Serviceman (NSman) service. The institute is also home to a specialized

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during Cardiac arrest, cardiac or Respiratory arrest, respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function ...

training center, accredited by the Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council.

Medical Response Force

SMTI also houses the

Medical Response Force The HQ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group is a group formed by various Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) units to enhance counter-terrorism capabilities and provide an immediate response in the event of chemical and biologic ...

(MRF), which is the medical arm of the SAF's

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group The HQ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group is a group formed by various Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) units to enhance counter-terrorism capabilities and provide an immediate response in the event of chemical and biologic ...

(CBRE Defence Group). Selected Combat Medics and Combat Medic Specialists go through a conversion course to be specially trained by the MRF to provide on-site management to casualties of chemical incidents. In addition to its military training function, SMTI also contributes significantly to the medical arena in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

through its non-military courses. SMTI imparts precious lifesaving skills to civilians ranging from

(SCDF) paramedics to doctors involved in

Advanced Trauma Life Support Advanced trauma life support (ATLS) is a training program for medical providers in the management of acute Trauma (medicine), trauma cases, developed by the American College of Surgeons. Similar programs exist for immediate care providers such as ...

(ATLS).

References

External links

SAF Medical Training Institute (SMTI) Website

* ttp://www.mindef.gov.sg/chembiodefence/aboutmedicalresponseforce.asp Medical Response Force (MRF) Webpage {{Singapore Armed Forces Military education and training in Singapore Medical and health organisations based in Singapore Mandai Medical units and formations