Swine flu outbreak - Hospitals restrict visitors

Swine flu outbreak - Hospitals restrict visitors
By Diana Othman


Most of the major hospitals contacted by straitstimes.com on Wednesday said they are limiting the number of visitors to one or two per patient for now. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUBLIC hospitals are restricting visits to patients as part of stepped up precautionary measures, which kicked in after the Ministry of Health raised the swine flu pandemic alert level from green to yellow on Tuesday night.

Most of the major hospitals contacted by straitstimes.com on Wednesday said they are limiting the number of visitors to one or two per patient for now.

Singapore General Hospital, which is allowing only two visitors for each patient, is also barring children under 12 from visiting its ward patients.

It said young children are more susceptible to infection.

The National University Hospital is also said to be prohibiting children under 12 to visit its patients.

Hospitals are also screening visitors, who are now required to have their particulars recorded to facilitate contact tracing.

Visitors have also been advised to don surgical masks, clean their hands before and after visits and after the removal of masks.

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