The Straits Times (10 August 2020)
Tan Tock Seng Hospital nurses with a trolley carrying snacks and a speaker playing National Day songs. They also pasted tattoo stickers of the Singapore flag on one another. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Frontline workers who have been toiling day in and day out since the coronavirus outbreak began here in January were honoured by a grateful nation yesterday.
The tributes for those tackling the pandemic ranged far and wide during the National Day celebrations and even reached for the sky when the Red Lions parachuted and landed gracefully on fields near Ng Teng Fong General and Sengkang General hospitals.
The 12 parachutists – six at each location – were met with loud cheers and clapping while shutterbugs snapped away furiously.
The Red Lions later saluted healthcare workers at the two hospitals.
Ms Siti Aisyah Samsudin, 31, specialist outpatient clinics service team leader at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, said watching the Red Lions in the heartland was a "whole new, exciting experience".
"I feel incredibly grateful that Singaporeans appreciate the efforts of those of us in healthcare. It has been challenging yet fulfilling," she added.
"Let’s continue to stay safe and care for one another in these trying times."
That was not the only tribute from the wide blue yonder: Six F15 fighter jets also looped past eight hospitals in a spectacular display.
A column of military vehicles and assets also made its way into the heartland, rolling past key locations like Ng Teng Fong General, Sengkang General and Khoo Teck Puat General hospitals and the community care facility at Singapore Expo.
Dr Annitha Annathurai, 46, head of the emergency medicine department at Sengkang General Hospital, said the display was humbling, adding: "We are just doing what we have been trained for and this special recognition will motivate us further to continue to provide the best care, always.
"This tribute gives us the strength to persist and continue on."
The evening show at The Star Vista also showcased stories of Singaporeans stepping up during the outbreak, and culminated in a Light Up Moment, when people across the island lifted up their phones for a nationwide display of appreciation for those who have been making a difference amid the pandemic.
Local musician Umar Sirhan performing Everyday Heroes as a tribute to frontline and essential workers during the Coming Together segment of the evening show at The Star Vista. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE