Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has urged the public to be prudent in their usage of the 995 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) hotline.

According to a press release by the ministry, 995 should only be dialled in the event of life-threatening emergencies such as the sudden onset of chest pain, breathlessness, drowsiness or confusion, sudden onset of limb or body weakness, difficulty in speech, or drooping of the face, severe bleeding from injuries, loss of consciousness, and unexplained jerking of the body or fits.

MOH further highlighted that calls to the hotline had increased from an average of 635 calls a day in January 2022 to an average of 830 calls a day in the first two weeks of February 2022.

On February 14, SCDF experienced an even sharper spike to about 1,000 calls.

The ministry said, "This has added significant stress on our paramedics who are already under significant pressure. In comparison, the average daily number of EMS calls before Covid-19 was only about 550."

45 per cent of Covid-19 patients who called in did not need to be hospitalised

As for the number of calls by Covid-19 patients, MOH said that this was around 1,700 in January and about 2,500 calls in the first two weeks of February.

However, about 45 per cent of them only needed day treatment at the hospital and did not need to be hospitalised.

In stressing that the hotline must be prioritised for the "swift conveyance" of people with life-threatening or emergency medical conditions, the ministry appealed for people to refrain from calling 995, if they are not experiencing such issues.

MOH added, "If EMS calls continue to climb, the public may experience delays in ambulance response even for medical emergencies."

Public should not turn up at Emergency Department if they do not face medical emergencies

MOH also called on the public to only seek treatment at a hospital's Emergency Department (ED) in the event of a medical emergency or life-threatening condition.

The ministry explained that in the first two weeks of February, Singapore's public hospitals saw a high number of patients at the ED, with an average of about 3,100 a day, resulting in long queues and waiting times.

In addition, up to 80 per cent of these patients needed only day treatment at the ED and did not need to be hospitalised.

MOH said, "If many patients with non-emergency conditions turn up at the ED, it could compromise the provision of emergency medical care for those who really require it."

MOH and SCDF are working together to streamline the conveyance of Covid-19 patients

The ministry then said that it was working with SCDF to streamline the triaging and conveyance of Covid-19 patients.

For Covid-19 patients who are stable and do not require any management of acute emergency symptoms, they will be directly conveyed by the SCDF to a Covid-19 Treatment Facility (CTF) if they are assessed to require further medical monitoring and management of non-emergency medical conditions.

This direct conveyance will begin with the CTF at NTUC Health Nursing Home at Tampines from February 26.

As for individuals who are under the Home Recovery Programme or awaiting conveyance to a care or isolation facility, and are experiencing only mild symptoms, they are advised to first seek medical help via the following channels, rather than calling 995 walking into EDs:

• A telemedicine provider,
• Their regular primary care provider, or
• The HR Buddy hotline (6874 4939).

As for those who have tested positive, on a self-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) and have no or mild symptoms, they should simply self-isolate at home, for at least 72 hours.

In the event that it is really necessary, such individuals can also book an appointment at any Combined Test Centre (CTC) or Quick Test Centre (QTC) to do a supervised self-administered ART.

If they are feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms such as fever or persistent cough, they can also visit a Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) via private transport for medical attention.

MOH added that the public may access the latest list of General Practitioner (GP) clinics and their operating hours at:

• MOH's website,
• The Agency for Integrated Care’s (AIC) website,
• Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) webpage, and
• HealthHub mobile application, which is available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

Follow and listen to our podcast here

Top photo via SCDF FB