SINGAPORE -Healthcare workers and staff from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) should not be shunned during this difficult time, Ministry of Health (MOH) director of medical services Kenneth Mak said on Tuesday (May 4).
The hospital currently has a cluster of 40 Covid-19 cases, among whom 10 are healthcare workers.
Speaking at the virtual multi-ministry task force press conference tackling Covid-19, he said there were reports of other healthcare workers being told they were not welcome at their place of accommodation, by landlords who had heard they worked at TTSH.
“This is a concern for us because these workers are well and they have committed a lot of time and energy towards looking after patients in TTSH,” he said.
“So we (also) endeavour to support them, (by) making sure that they have… accommodation through this difficult time, when they are being called up to do much more than what they would normally be expected to.”
Singaporeans can come together to show their support and appreciation for these healthcare workers said Prof Mak, just the way they did last year.
On March 30 last year, Singaporeans clapped and cheered from their windows and balconies for the front liners in Singapore’s fight against Covid-19.
There were also reports of health workers being shunned by commuters on public transport early on during the pandemic last year.
Noting that healthcare workers have been working long hours looking after both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients, Prof Mak urged the public to show support to TTSH workers and their welfare, as this would be “very important” at this stage.
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