With the amount of confirmed Covid-19 cases increasing on a daily basis, a heightened sense of anxiety has understandably crept into the consciousness of many Singaporeans.
That's why one Singaporean woman, Joyce Chan, took to Facebook to share about the process patients go through at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
"As humans, we often fear what we don't understand," wrote the 31-year-old former police officer turned financial consultant in a Feb. 14 post on Facebook.
She explained that her rationale for documenting the entire process at NCID on her Instagram account was to give others "greater peace of mind".
Getting treatment for a cough
Chan had initially visited a Raffles Medical clinic after suffering from a persistent cough.
"I've been coughing for a while now (at least six months) and it got much betteruntil the bak kwa and pineapple tart spam over CNY (Chinese New Year)."
Image via Joyce Chan's Facebook page
However, due to her symptoms and travel history to Taiwan, the doctor decided that it was best to send Chan to NCID for a test if she had contracted Covid-19.
While she thought that she would be allowed to make her way to NCID on her own — and stop for some snacks along the way — the doctor insisted that an ambulance be called to ferry her over.
Image via Joyce Chan's Facebook page
In the ambulance en route to NCID, Chan posted that she was "really impressed with the levels of alertness frontline medical staff are displaying".
"Sure, it is absolutely inconvenient and completely not what I expected from what I thought was a regular doctor's visit but this level of alertness and response really puts me at ease that the government and our medical staff are well equipped to contain and handle (the Covid-19) situation."
Image via Joyce Chan's Facebook page
"Sibeh love sia"
Once at NCID, Chan waxed lyrical about how organised and systematic the centre was.
There was also a tip of the hat to the "super attentive" healthcare workers who noticed the time of her initial visit to the doctors'.
"They asked if I had my breakfast and provided me with porridge when I told them that I haven't. Sibeh love sia."
No worries in NCID
Taking her followers along with her every step of the way, Chan then listed reasons why Singaporeans need not feel worried about visiting the doctor's and being sent to NCID.
"If you are unwell, you should seek the medical attention you need instead of avoiding it (and potentially passing it on to others). They have protocols here in NCID that make me feel super safe."
The first being demarcations along walkways that ensure that patients are standing a safe distance from other patients.
Image via Joyce Chan's Facebook page
Chan then noted that all medical personnel were outfitted in full personal protective equipment — "for the safety of the patients and themselves".
All patients were also given a mask.
In keeping with the walkway demarcations, Chan said that patients were seated far apart from each other while waiting for and during the medical assessments.
"To give you a sense of how far apart, my next table and I can stretch our hands out and still have a nurse walk between us without touching either of our hands.
Through the entire process, there is no way I might have physical contact with another patient."
Seeking to minimise any chance of patient-to-patient transmissions, healthcare workers used mobile stations in their assessments which Chan said were thoroughly disinfected before being used by another patient.
She told Mothership that assessments she experienced and observed included chest X-rays, temperature monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, and swab tests.
Furthermore, after patients were discharged or moved to a ward, their seats were also disinfected by a dedicated crew.
Chan was eventually discharged once healthcare workers were satisfied that she was only suffering from cough and not Covid-19.
"Mad respect"
"Looking back, sure it was troublesome to go through all that for just a cough, but I'd rather we err on the safe side," she wrote before further elaborating on why her trip had elicited "mad respect" for workers at NCID.
"Throughout the visit, I was assured so many times and did not feel panicky at all.
NCID was super efficient and the staff displayed such fantastic teamwork, displaying efficiency and empathy at the same time."
Image via Joyce Chan's Facebook page
Paying tribute to the medical professionals at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Raffles Medical Group, Chan urged Singaporeans not to panic — "this is the time to show gratitude, appreciation and support".
"I've full confidence that Singapore can handle this situation well."
Speaking to Mothership, Chan said that she was discharged from NCID at about 1pm, with the whole process (from the clinic to NCID) lasting three-and-a-half hours.
One day after the fact, she is still coughing but feeling much better.
She did, however, have one cheeky suggestion, which she posted on Instagram:
"I wish they had given me a huge ass sticker to say that I've been certified cleared of (Covid-19) so that people don't stare at me weird when I cough though."
Image via Joyce Chan's Facebook page
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Top image from Joyce Chan's Facebook page