Singapore changes tactics to battle H1N1 influenza

Singapore changes tactics to battle H1N1 influenza
Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, June 23

SINGAPORE: Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has spelt out measures in the country’s tactics to battle the H1N1 virus as circumstances in the country change.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, he said as the numbers in the country escalate, agencies have to shift their resources to focus on detecting and treating infected cases, paying special attention to high—risk patients.

From now, there will be a shift from alert level of Yellow Containment to Yellow Mitigation, and Singaporeans can expect some adjustments in the next few days.

Firstly, Mr Khaw said the Health Ministry (MOH) will take a much more focused approach on contact tracing. Most of the contact tracing efforts thus far concern flight passengers who sit close to confirmed cases.

But with community spread, the likelihood of infection has now shifted to the local community, instead of only the plane cabin.

Mr Khaw said MOH has started to scale down such contact tracing and it would henceforth decide on a case—by—case basis, taking into account the medical condition of the infected patients while they were on board a flight.

The minister, however, stressed that isolating close family members of confirmed cases remains a useful control measure. Temperature screening is also effective as one in four of those detected were picked up by the scanners.

Secondly, the hospitals have ramped up their laboratory facilities, so they are all capable of testing and confirming H1N1 cases.

Thirdly, the government has geared up all the public hospitals to handle H1N1 cases.

Mr Khaw said the 993 ambulances have begun sending suspect patients to all public hospitals, not just to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.


— CNA/so

- wong chee tat :)