More swabbers and swab assistants are being recruited to facilitate the increased number of Covid-19 tests to be carried out.

Open recruitment for swabbers

The Health Promotion Board (HPB), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) is facilitating a recruitment exercise for these positions.

Job applicants must have a minimum education qualification of GCE 'N' levels or a Level 5 Statement of Attainment (SOA) for the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy assessment (WPLN).

According to a job application form, swab assistants will earn a monthly salary of S$3,400, while swabbers will earn S$3,800 a month.

Raised some questions

However, this open recruitment has raised some questions in the healthcare industry.

One nurse even claimed that she was paid S$1,900 as a basic salary in her first year.

Employed under short-term contract

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has responded to media queries regarding the open recruitment, and explained that the employment offered is just a short-term contract.

MOH added that these positions do not provide any progression pathway unlike full-time healthcare professional roles in the public healthcare system.

The employment will also not include any additional allowances or bonuses.

MOH shared that an entry-level registered nurse can have a gross monthly salary (including allowances and bonuses) of between S$3,300 to S$5,200, depending on one's qualifications.

"They are also eligible for annual salary increments as well as training opportunities to upskill themselves and develop a lifelong career as a nurse clinician, educator or leader in the healthcare sector."

Here's MOH's statement in full:

"The Health Promotion Board (HPB), with the assistance of NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), is hiring swabbers and swabbing assistants to support the wider COVID-19 swab testing efforts to reduce the risk of further transmission of COVID-19 in Singapore.

The employment offered is a short-term contract for swab operations, e.g. swabbing of foreign workers in dormitories, and does not provide any progression pathway unlike full-time healthcare professional roles in the public healthcare system. Neither does it include any additional allowances or bonuses.

The average gross monthly salary, after adding in allowances and bonuses, for entry-level registered nurses ranges from $3,300 to $5,200 depending on their qualifications. They are also eligible for annual salary increments as well as training opportunities to upskill themselves and develop a lifelong career as a nurse clinician, educator or leader in the healthcare sector."

Top image from JurongHealth Campus/ FB.