DR MICHAEL Lee's two daughters have learnt not to hug him until he has changed out of his work clothes and showered.

This precaution the general practitioner's family takes will become even more important when the Raffles Medical Group clinic where he works is activated as a Pandemic Preparedness Clinic (PPC) - a move Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan says will come soon.

About 450 private clinics and all polyclinics, stocked with Tamiflu and personal protection equipment, will display 'H1N1 ready' decals featuring a red check mark. These are where those suspected to have the H1N1 flu will be treated.

For a full list of such clinics, visit the Health Promotion Board website at www.street-directory. com/hpb.ppc/ or the Health Ministry website at www.moh.gov.sg

Once sustained community spread of the virus has kicked in, these clinics will be activated, since the hospitals will not be able to cope with the numbers who will be sick then.

Members of the public who come down with flu- like symptoms then should head for the nearest PPC or polyclinic for initial assessment and treatment. Depending on the severity of their illness and other risk factors, they may be referred to the hospital.

Those who are pregnant, on active cancer treatment or on kidney dialysis are advised to contact their regular specialists upon developing flu-like symptoms, because the illness may complicate their underlying conditions.

Dr Lee, like the hundreds of other doctors in such clinics, will don full pandemic gear - masks, gloves, goggles, head and shoe covers and gown - when treating patients who may have H1N1 flu.

Once the country moves into the next phase, part of his clinic will be set aside for flu patients. On any given day, one of the three doctors there will be fully gowned to cater to just those patients.

Neither he nor fellow GP Chng Shih Kiat are too worried about an influx of flu patients. Both had gone through Sars in 2003, which had a fatality rate of 15 per cent, compared to 0.37 per cent for H1N1.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times