30 April 2021
1. Our Hospital has been working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to respond decisively to this situation. We have been in a pandemic mode since January 2020 and the virus continues to evolve and pose different challenges. This situation is of concern and we are acting fast with a three-pronged approach to Contain, Control and Cast a wide net to secure the safety and well-being of our patients and staff.
First, Our Immediate Containment Measures
2. Our hospital’s priority is to contain the situation and to care for our patients and staff who have been confirmed with COVID-19. We have taken immediate steps to treat and isolate them at the National Centre For Infectious Diseases (NCID). Some of our patients are elderly and with multiple co-morbidities. We are monitoring them very closely.
3. We have also identified inpatients and staff who are close contacts of the positive cases. To-date, we have transferred 61 patients including the confirmed patients to NCID. We have since also placed 76 of our staff who have been in close contact on leave of absence, awaiting their quarantine orders. Based on further contact tracing, more staff may be placed on leave of absence and quarantine. In view of our manpower situation, we have worked closely with the Ministry to reduce non-urgent electives and non-life-threatening A&E attendances during this period.
4. I must emphasise that our epidemiological investigations are ongoing for the positive cases. We have locked down four wards. Close contacts of confirmed cases have been isolated. The other patients and staff in these wards have been swabbed and are being monitored for their well-being. The first swab results for these other patients are so far negative.
Second, Our Surveillance & Infection Control Measures
5. We have stepped up clinical surveillance of all inpatients who may develop fever or acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms inflight. However, patients with COVID-19 may be asymptomatic, and this underlies the challenges with diagnosis and surveillance.
6. We have enhanced our staff surveillance and reminded our staff to be vigilant in twice daily temperature monitoring and if unwell, to see our onsite staff clinic immediately and not to report for work.
7. We have also reinforced infection control, hand hygiene, and PPE compliance for all our staff.
8. We have enhanced our cleaning and disinfection process and increased its frequency throughout our hospital including the four wards that have been locked down.
Third, We Have Cast Our Net Wide To Prevent Further Spread
9. As of yesterday, we have started mass screening for all inpatients and staff working in our wards. This is to cast our net wide in order to contain any potential and hidden risks. During this period, we have 1100 inpatients and 4500 staff in our wards working on various shifts. This includes doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, housekeepers and our support staff. We will swab and test each one of them. All our inpatients will be swabbed by this evening and all 4500 staff by this weekend.
10. As a safety measure for our patients and visitors, we are not allowing visitors into our wards till further notice, except for critically ill patients on a case by case basis on compassionate grounds.
11. While the above measures to contain, control and “cast a wide net” are ongoing, we may pick up further cases, which we will quickly isolate and lock the ward down. We have also mobilised our patient relations and welfare officers to support the well-being of our patients and staff, respectively.
12. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry to contain and review our measures, and we will take further action as necessary.