Care, Trialled and Tested

Ian shares on his role as Head and Senior Consultant of Otorhinolaryngology at CGH.

Yu Ting shares how her passion for laboratory work led her to join CGH.

When a patient undergoes a blood test at the hospital, the test sample embarks on a quiet yet critical journey – one that determines diagnoses, forms treatment plans, and guides life-saving decisions. Behind this invisible yet essential journey is Medical Laboratory Scientist Lee Yu Ting, and her colleagues who keep the Laboratory running around the clock at Changi General Hospital (CGH).

Yu Ting’s path into healthcare was not a straight line. Exposed to various research fields and clinical trials while pursuing her degree, the Biological Sciences graduate realised that the world of academia might not be for her.

“I found research quite dry,” she recalled with a laugh. “But I enjoyed being in the laboratory, working with instruments, and running tests. That is why I joined healthcare.”

That realisation guided her towards the clinical laboratory, where she directly impacts patient care through her work.

“Processing test samples in a timely manner ensures doctors get results quickly, so they can diagnose and provide the treatment patients need,” she says.

Having been at CGH for over a decade, Yu Ting started off as a Medical Laboratory Technician, steadily gaining experience and advancing to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist – a senior role that extends beyond the medical laboratory work to include leadership and decision-making responsibilities. Today, Yu Ting assists with training, workflow planning, lab operations, and cross-departmental projects, in addition to processing tests.

The laboratory may seem far removed from the frontlines of patient care, but every test result the team processes affects treatment decisions and health.

Ian shares on his role as Head and Senior Consultant of Otorhinolaryngology at CGH.

Yu Ting shares on the meaning she finds in supporting patients to recovery through her work at the CGH laboratory.

Yu Ting’s day typically begins with equipment maintenance and quality control checks to ensure that all instruments are running safely and accurately before patient testing begins. Thousands of samples flow through the lab each day – from the emergency department, hospital wards and clinics, and even partner institutions such as correctional health and aviation medicine services.

Each sample represents a patient who is waiting, often anxiously, for answers.

“We may not interact with patients directly,” Yu Ting said. “But we know that every result matters. That is why we are so strict about safety protocols. Checking patient identifiers and verifying samples is our way of protecting patients.”

The work can be fast-paced, especially during after-hours shifts.

“At night, there are fewer staff running the lab,” Yu Ting shares. “When a challenge arises, we have to think on our feet and draw on our experience to make quick decisions and adapt.”

Yu Ting sees care as central to everything she does.

“It feels good to know that what we do helps patients on their road to recovery,” she said. “Sometimes I recognise patients’ names from repeated tests when they are doing a lot of monitoring, and I see the trend when their results start improving. It is always a relief to see that they’re getting better.”

Care also extends within the lab team. “We help one another out a lot,” adds Yu Ting. “If a section of the laboratory is dealing with a high load – for example, in the blood bank during an emergency – others will step in to help. This has been the way we care for each other."

“Recognition and appreciation go a long way,” she reflects. “Sometimes we forget to say thank you because we think it’s just part of the job. But when someone notices your effort, it really makes a difference.”

“When people are happy and supported at work, they have more energy to care – for patients and for each other. This is the kind of culture I hope to help build.”

Read about how Yu Ting collaborates with Laboratory Medicine Senior Consultant Dr Tan Si Huei to enhance care at the Caring General Hospital here.