Gerald Giam asks if more resources will be provided for MOH hotline, after residents with Covid-19 ask him for help

Singapore — With the recent steep rise in Covid-19 infections, a common complaint has been that there are not enough people to answer questions at the call centres of the Ministry of Health, and people have expressed frustration at a lack of clear communication.

Some residents have even reached out to their Members of Parliament for help.

Mr Gerald Giam (Workers’ Party—Aljunied GRC) took to Facebook on Wednesday morning (Sept 29), writing that several of the residents of Bedok Reservoir – Punggol asked for his help “because they did not receive timely instructions on what to do next or when they would be picked up by Cisco officers to be ferried to quarantine facilities.”

He added that other residents who have tested positive for Covid have been worried because they live with vulnerable people, such as the elderly or pregnant women, and were concerned about passing the virus to them.

Mr Giam acknowledged that healthcare workers and MOH call centres operators have been working very hard to assist those who have got infected with Covid.

“The strain has been apparent on the ground. They also had difficulty getting through to the MOH hotline to make enquiries,” he added.

On Sept 22 therefore, Mr Giam filed a Parliamentary Question which will be answered on Oct 4, to ask if more staff and resources will be allotted for the hotline of MOH and for bringing Covid-19 patients to quarantine facilities:

The question he filed is as follows:

To ask the Minister for Health 

(a) since 18 August 2021, how many patients who tested positive for COVID-19 waited (i) between 24 and 72 hours or (ii) more than 72 hours, after the receipt of their test results before being issued Quarantine Orders; and 

(b) whether more staff and resources will be provided to operate the Ministry hotline and convey COVID-19 patients to Government quarantine facilities.

He wrote that he was glad that the Singapore Armed Forces had been brought in to assist the MOH in these matters.

“Our healthcare workers need more support and resources during this time of pandemic in order for them to perform the important work that our nation has tasked them to do,” he added.

Starting from Sept 18, younger and fully vaccinated Covid cases were asked to recover in their own homes, which frees up hospitals to be able to attend to more gravely ill patients.

However, after the Home Recovery programme was implemented, many patients found it stressful due to a lack of communication from MOH. 

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on Friday (Sept 24) would step in to beef up staffing for home recovery patients. 

“This allows us to progressively clear the backlog that has accumulated over the past few days. So we are actively, proactively reaching out to affected individuals, delivering the care packs on request,” he said. /TISG

Read also: Some Covid patients finding home recovery stressful due to lack of communication from MOH

Some Covid patients finding home recovery stressful due to lack of communication from MOH