Update On SARS - 21 Apr

21 Apr 2003

Situation Update

As at 21 April 2003, 64 SARS patients remain hospitalised. There are 6 additional SARS cases reported today. One is a 63-year-old man who was admitted to NUH on 8 April for uncontrolled high blood pressure and was a contact of a SARS patient who was admitted to NUH on 8 April, transferred to TTSH on 9 Apr and died on 12 April.

The second case, a 45-year-old man, works in Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. The third case is a 22-year-old domestic worker of a patient who was in SGH Ward 58. She had attended to her employer while she was hospitalised at SGH. The 61-year-old employer herself was diagnosed as a SARS case on 16 April 03.

The three remaining cases are the grandchildren of a 72-year-old man who was admitted as a suspect SARS case on 19 April and works in the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. The children are aged 4, 8 and 9. One is in kindergarten and the other two are in primary school. They had not attended school since the closure of all national schools and pre-school centres on 27 March.

Precautionary measures in private hospitals

To minimise the risk of cross infection between private hospitals, with effect from Tuesday, 22 April 03, all doctors who are employed or working in the private sector hospitals are required to register to work in only one hospital. This also applies to nurses who are self-employed or from private nursing agencies, as well as locum doctors.

Similarly, with immediate effect, inter-hospital transfer of inpatients has been stopped. However, any patients who require specialised care that is not being provided by the hospital in which they have been warded can be transferred to the appropriate public sector hospital for management.

However, for emergency medical situations, hospitals may call upon the services of the specialists required, even if they are not on the registered list for the hospital. Similarly, should the patient require urgent transfer to another medical facility, public or private, for emergency treatment, this can proceed.

Similar to current practice in public hospitals, patients requiring re-admission within 21 days of their discharge from a private hospital will be re-admitted to the same hospital. The only exception is where they prefer to be admitted to a public sector hospital, which will be allowed due to financial considerations.

Contact tracing for Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre

As of this afternoon, 728 tenants of the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre have been contacted. A total of 410 home quarantine orders have been served so far. Contact tracing is still in progress.

Health screening for incoming air and sea passengers

Between 4 pm yesterday to 4 pm today, there was 1 passenger that was screened and none were referred to TTSH. Between 4 pm yesterday to 4 pm today, there were no passengers who required further screening by the nurses at the ferry terminals.

Summary of SARS cases

A summary of the SARS cases to date:

Discharged: 104

Hospitalised: 64 (including 18 in intensive care)

Deaths: 14 + 2 (pending further post mortem test results)

Total: 184

Suspected: 82 (including 4 children below 18)

Under home quarantine orders: 793

Travel advisory

MOH urges the public to heed World Health Organisation (WHO)'s advice to postpone travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong until another time. We would also like to advise the public to avoid travel to other SARS affected areas - Beijing, Shanxi, Hanoi and Toronto, unless absolutely necessary.