Daryl Yong

Daryl Yong, Senior Executive
Business Office

Service excellence is more than just answering when duty calls. For our Business Office Senior Executive Daryl Yong, it is about working hand in hand with his colleagues to provide patients with a memorable experience while they heal and recover in comfort. This principle did not change even when he was assigned to work alongside COVID-19 patients.

While admitting COVID-19 patients may seem like an easy job, what many people do not know is the vigilance and attention to detail required for it.

“Every patient who comes through the door would be assigned a wrist tag unique to them as an identifier for doctors and nurses,” explained Daryl.

When asked how he felt when he found out he was tasked with admitting COVID-19 patients, Daryl said: “When this pandemic first struck, I was prepared to face it but there was also an underlying anxiousness. At the same time, I felt it was great that healthcare workers from private hospitals can also step in to do our part for the nation during this pandemic.”

“The admission process was set up to minimize contact between staff and patients so the furthest I went was to the ‘clean zone’. I was in charge of admitting the first batch of COVID-19 patients. A lot of coordination between the nurses and I were required and there were also last minute changes to the patients decanted to the Hospital. Everything happened quickly but we, from nurses to housekeepers to security personnel, remain energized and ensured the process went smoothly. I could not have focused on the task at hand without the steadfast support and assistance of my fellow colleagues.”

Daryl also went on to explain how this pandemic has taught him to relook into his living habits to keep his family safe. Bringing up one of the sacrifices he has made, Daryl revealed: “The biggest personal

sacrifice I had to make was the decision to stay apart from my wife. Given the potential reality of me working in an environment that will put me at risk of coming into contact with COVID-19 patients, we decided that the safest arrangement for us was to live separately for the time being.”

With social distancing measures in place, Daryl and his team were split into different shifts. This meant that a regular shift now comes with a leaner team with unexpected forecast as COVID-19 patients could be admitted anytime. Touching on this, Daryl said: “Our team has to always be on standby and adapt to changes and emergencies that come our way even on weekends. It did affect some of our personal time but this is negligible compared to our nursing colleagues on the frontline.”