Grab has introduced a dedicated, non-emergency transport service GrabResponse to ferry stable and clinically well individuals to hospitals.
These individuals include those who are on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or are suspect COVID-19 cases, the company said in a press statement.
The service is available only to authorised MOH dispatchers who can make a booking to transfer a stable and clinically well case to healthcare facilities.
GrabResponse driver-partners have undergone and completed a classroom and hands-on training conducted by the Singapore Civil Defence Force. The training covers comprehensive safety procedures to ensure that they are able to protect passengers as well as themselves.
Vehicles assigned to the GrabResponse service are not deployed for any other Grab services.
The GrabResponse service was piloted in late March to support the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s efforts to complement existing ambulance services. Since then, more than 250 volunteer Grab driver-partners have been enrolled, trained and are progressively being rostered on eight-hour shifts for the 24-hour service.
“The next few weeks will be crucial in Singapore’s fight against COVID-19, and we see a role where we can harness our platform and technology to complement local healthcare efforts. GrabResponse, like the GrabCare service, is our way of extending dedicated support to the healthcare sector,” said Yee Wee Tang, Managing Director, Grab Singapore.
“We are inspired by the selflessness of our volunteer driver-partners who have put themselves at the frontline to help," he added.
Participating driver-partners are required to put on masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for every trip, as well as discard their protective gear at designated decontamination zones. They must also clean and disinfect their vehicles after completing each trip.
Roy Lee, 39, who has been driving with the Grab platform since 2015, said, “I didn’t have to think twice about signing up for the GrabResponse service because everyone has a part to play to support each other to deal with all the challenges we are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional training we got and PPE gave me the peace of mind and the confidence that we will be able to provide a safe ride.”