SINGAPORE - Public hospitals are working with the Health Ministry to ensure there are enough resources and manpower to care for patients, as emergency departments see very high volumes of patients amid the latest Covid-19 wave.
The three healthcare clusters – National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth – said in a joint statement on Friday that since the start of the year, their hospital emergency departments have been experiencing a very high volume of patients.
The hospitals are monitoring the situation closely and adjusting their response to take care of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients.
The public hospitals have set aside beds that can be converted into isolation beds and holding facilities for suspected Covid-19 patients who are awaiting test results.
They will refer stable patients to home recovery programmes or community sites such as Covid-19 treatment facilities as appropriate.
The statement added: “To free up more capacity, we are also deferring some non-urgent elective surgery and admissions to preserve hospital beds and manpower. The safety and care of our patients remain our utmost priority. Patients requiring care will continue to be attended to.”
The statement came a day after The Straits Times reported that there was a bed crunch at several public hospitals, with some ambulances waiting for up to 30 minutes before they can offload patients because there are no beds available.
The healthcare clusters said the hospitals offer alternative arrangements for patients when appropriate, such as tele-consultation, remote monitoring and delivery of medication.
However, longer waiting time in emergency departments is expected, and priority will be given to patients with more serious conditions, the statement added.
“Patients with potentially life-threatening or medically urgent conditions will be attended to quickly, and sicker patients who require close monitoring will get a bed sooner based on acuity and priority. Those with lower acuity conditions will experience a longer wait time to transfer to the ward.”
Hospitals are also seeing a high number of patients who do not require emergency care. Thus, people, including children, should not visit the emergency department unless it is for life-threatening conditions, the statement said.
“For common and minor medical conditions, they should visit general practitioners and polyclinics or consider teleconsultation with their doctor.
“Patients who walk into emergency departments with non-emergency conditions may be diverted to other urgent care clinics or primary care clinics for further assessment, to prioritise emergency department resources for patients who truly need acute hospital care.”
Healthcare teams, the statement said, have been facing a heavy workload and long working hours.
The hospitals manage staffing needs by planning and staggering the rostering of leave, and have stepped up efforts to monitor the well-being of staff.
Besides heavy workload and long working hours, a significant part of staff burnout is also due to abuse, the statement said.
“We take a zero-tolerance stance towards deliberate abuse against our staff and will take action to protect them.
“We seek the public’s patience and cooperation to help create a safe environment for our staff to do their best to care for patients.”
