From tomorrow, visitors and patient carers at government and private hospitals will be required to wear face mask at in-patient areas such as wards, emergency and the radiology department while antigen rapid tests (ART) remain mandatory for patients being admitted to the hospital, except for newly recovered cases.
Meanwhile, it is not mandatory for visitors to do an ART before visiting inpatients in wards.
However, they are not allowed to visit if they have symptoms or are unwell.
The latest patient carer and visitors’ policy for government and private hospitals, health centres and health facilities was announced by the Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday.
The statement highlighted that face masks are not required for outpatient areas such as clinics, phlebotomy and pharmacies. However, face masks are required for individuals with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms.
While for health centres or clinics, the use of face masks is only required in the Flu Clinic area.
The use of face masks is not required in the General Clinic area, unless the individual has ILI symptoms. ART is still required for patients with ILI symptoms and those who have been referred for admission. The use of face mask is only required in the Flu Clinic area.
On the policy for visitors to the ward, only two visitors (not including carer) are allowed per patient during visiting hours.
Visitors are not allowed to visit patients in holding wards, isolation wards or any wards with restricted access. Visitors are only allowed to visit patients in low risk zone wards (cold zone wards). Visitors are allowed with patient’s permission to hold video calls with their family but are not allowed to take video recordings of staff, other patients or the wards.
Only one carer is allowed per patient. The change of carer for each patient is allowed on the condition that the replacement needs to do an ART.
Visitors and carers must ensure that they wear face masks where they are required and not to visit patients if they are unwell or sick.
Carers must wear face masks at all times, keep their mobile phone switched off or on silent mode, keep their voices down and avoid making loud noises as well as wash hands with soap and water or use the hand sanitiser regularly, refrain from eating and drinking in the ward and respect the privacy of other patients.
COVID-19 positive patients are not to attend their routine clinic visits. Instead, they are advised to reschedule their appointments.
However, COVID-19 patients experiencing worsening symptoms can seek treatment at the hospital or nearby health centres and should inform healthcare staff that they are COVID-19 positive.
The use of face masks for food handlers as well as workers in restaurants and shops is no longer mandatory starting from tomorrow.
However, food handlers are advised to practice correct, clean and safe food handling practices. – James Kon
