SINGAPORE: With the surge in the number of Omicron cases ravaging across Singapore, the emergency departments have been bearing the brunt. Doctors and nurses are exhausted with no period of rest, long shifts and increased risk of contracting the virus. These have led to fatigue and poor healthcare services in several hospitals across the country. With the rate at which patients are wheeled into the ER, inevitably, the waiting time has doubled the same as the queue.
One of the interviewed staff at a public described the whole situation as “Tetris blocks” except its patients on stretchers that made up the blocks. “Before you can get over seeing a patient, few more have been wheeled to your face. And you just have to keep working, getting a space for them while making sure their problems are sorted out. It can be so difficult even trying to locate them. And you may end up shouting their names.”
For the past few weeks reports from several hospitals across the state have been stressing the same point concerning the sudden increase in the rate of patients coming into the emergency unit. “The average rate of daily attendance was noticed to have increased by 20 per cent compared to the previous month,” said Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. However, it was observed that from the total number of patients that walked into the ER, 66% were sent home as their case was not life-threatening and could be managed from home. Most of these patients who reported to the ER didn’t need emergency care and could be treated at the outpatient department. Concerning this situation, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has warned the general public to go for emergency medical care at the hospitals only if it is an emergency or life-threatening condition as this will enable the hospital to function effectively.
Other hospitals also voiced their opinion concerning the rate of patients trooping in with minor cases which can be settled in clinics instead of taking up bed spaces for crucial emergency cases. Emergencies such as breathlessness, chest pain, uncontrollable bleeding are the cases meant to be seen in the hospital’s emergency department as this requires emergency care. This will help preserve spaces for patients who will truly require acute emergency treatment.
THE MORE THE PATIENTS, THE LONGER THE WAITING TIME
The waiting time on the other hand has increased significantly due to the time spent on the mild cases in the ER. In most cases, patients with debilitating conditions will have to wait 15 hours or more to get ward placement. Patients waiting to be attended to and hospital staff running to and fro checking on the admitted patients, family members waiting outside to get feedback about their wards. “Truly, it’s just like chaos, and very overwhelming with the family members looking at you for updates,” said Jessica (not her real name).
EFFECTS OF MORE POSITIVE CASES OF COVID-19
Unfortunately, these are happening just when the cases of Omicron wave are in the upper limits with Singapore recording 10,686 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. Making it the third time the daily cases of COVID-19 is hitting above the 10,000 mark. The majority of the positive cases come to the ER with mild symptoms such as runny nose, fever and headache which according to current health protocols are required to be on self-isolation for at least 3 days. However, with the general practitioners on break during the Chinese New Year, public hospitals are overwhelmed with the increased population of patients entering the emergency unit. This trend is seen annually and has been worsened by the global pandemic. We hope to get a better alternative for this situation to avoid overworking our healthcare workers.