Healthcare institutions widen youth volunteers’ roles with para-clinical training

But some hospitals also face challenges in retaining youth volunteers as they move through different life stages and shifting priorities.

Hospitals are turning their attention to elderly volunteers as well, who offer greater weekday availability and can communicate with patients in various dialects.

Ms Tan Hwee Ping, head of community relations at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital, said one of the key considerations when working with youth volunteers is securing longer-term commitment.

She explained that youth volunteers juggle schoolwork, co-curricular activities and personal responsibilities, making sustained volunteering difficult.

As they are typically in school on weekdays when hospitals need the most support, attracting them to weekday programmes has been particularly challenging, Ms Tan noted.

“We have weekend programmes on Saturday and Sunday, so the volunteers who cannot make it on weekdays still (can) contribute,” she added.

“During term break, they can come more regularly. During exam period or when a term paper is due, they will take a pause. So that’s one of the (flexible measures) that we have to put in if we want to retain the volunteers.”