Hospitals in Singapore gearing for possible Ebola outbreak

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Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) has said that the risk of Ebola in Singapore cannot be ruled out completely and complacency is "not the approach to take". The announcement came against a backdrop of news that New York - the United States' largest city - confirmed its first case of Ebola.

In a media briefing on Friday (Oct 24), MOH officials said hospitals in Singapore have been gearing up for any possible outbreak, with each hospital having their own dedicated teams to deal with Ebola.

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Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Singapore's designated centre for Ebola patient cases, has stepped up its infection control guidelines and has conducted rigorous training in the event that the disease hits Singapore.

The hospital is equipped with some 10,000 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The PPE's design ensures that every inch of the healthcare worker is covered and the material is fluid resistant.

Trained personnel also conduct continuous safety checks to make sure each staff adheres to protocols when putting on the PPE and taking it off.

An Ebola SWAT team in the hospital has also been formed, comprising experts from various fields.

1. Suspected Ebola cases are first attended to at emergency departments, and screened based on their travel history and if they have a high fever. As a precaution, they are isolated from other patients and contact tracing is carried out on all close contacts.
2. If the patient is suspected of or confirmed to have Ebola, an ambulance is activated to take the patient to Tan Tock Seng's Communicable Disease Centre (CDC 2). All suspect cases will be managed in negative pressure isolation rooms with strict infection control procedures.
3. Ebola cases requiring ICU care will be managed in Ward 81, while stable cases will be in Ward 70.

Health Ministry officials said back-up capabilities are in place should more isolation facilities be required. There is also a Government quarantine facility on standby in Pasir Ris at the People's Association Chalet.