SINGAPORE – It is a heartwarming song to honour the National Healthcare Group’s (NHG) Covid-19 front-line and support staff amid these tough times.

Torch of Hope, composed by local music veteran Clement Chow – best known for producing and recording the National Day song, Count On Me, Singapore – also seeks to encourage patients and the public to be strong and united in overcoming the pandemic.

Two versions of the song, written also to mark the group’s 20th anniversary, were recorded, and are available for streaming on Facebook.

The first is a studio recording of NHG staff singing alongside Mr Chow and local artists such as Rahimah Rahim, Jordin Tan, and Kevin Branden. This video was shot before the circuit breaker to stem Covid-19 transmissions began on April 7.

As the Covid-19 pandemic wore on, a second version was released – a staff edition with a virtual choir of NHG’s senior management and front-line workers across ranks, disciplines and institutions singing to encourage healthcare workers.

Shot during the circuit breaker, staff contributed videos remotely; some in their wards and wearing personal protective equipment. The video also shows images of healthcare workers in action at community care facilities at the Singapore Expo, and migrant worker dormitories.

Senior management and staff said they took part in the videos to foster camaraderie, cultivate kindness, and forge a sense of team spirit during Covid-19.

National Centre for Infectious Diseases enrolled nurse Vasanthi Kumarasamy, who served in a Covid-19 ward, said: “Throughout my 12 years of service at NHG, I have felt recognised and appreciated… I chose to participate in this music video to encourage fellow front-liners to keep fighting and not give up, as this crisis is only temporary. As the saying goes: ‘tough times never last, but tough people do’.”

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