The transfer is in line with TTSH's plan, from now on, to free up its beds whenever public health crises - such as the current dengue outbreak - hit.

Although the dengue numbers seem to have ebbed, TTSH is getting prepared for the worst.

The weekly figure for the week beginning July 15 was down to 290, from a record of 432 in the first week of this month.

TTSH now has 14 women with dengue in its wards, who will be moved to KKH today if they are in stable condition.

TTSH spokesman Olivia Branson said that, besides moving the women - including girls under 16 - to KKH, TTSH will also move boys under 16 over. 'KKH has the capacity and expertise to handle both groups,' she said.

TTSH will also open up two new wards in anticipation of a crunch on hospital beds in the event the dengue epidemic worsens.

The wards, to be at the Communicable Disease Centre next door to TTSH, will add another 26 beds.

The first 13 beds will be made available next Monday, and the remaining 13, in the middle of next month. Ms Branson said these extra beds would boost the hospital's capacity to cope with a surge in dengue cases.

The two new wards will stay open until the first quarter of next year, when the hospital assesses the dengue situation, she added.

And, to free up still more beds, TTSH is also discharging patients who are well enough to go home, and postponing non-urgent elective surgeries.

This is not the first time TTSH has moved women patients to another hospital to make room for victims of an epidemic.

In September 2005, the last time the dengue epidemic hit, the hospital transferred up to three women dengue patients a day to KKH. All in, more than 60 patients with dengue were moved over that year.

But where patients were transferred to KKH on a few fixed days each week, TTSH is now looking at moving them over as and when the need arises, said Ms Branson.

Associate Professor Tay Eng Hseon, who chairs the KKH medical board, said the women will be put into two wards 'for ease of specialised medical observation and care'.

They will not be isolated since their condition is stable, he said.

KKH will take in as many patients from TTSH as 'our bed and medical capacities permit', he added.

juditht@sph.com.sg