About 40 IMH Patients With More Serious COVID-19 Symptoms Transferred to Acute Hospitals

The largest active COVID-19 cluster, with 294 infections, is undergoing some changes.

About 40 Institute of Mental Health (IMH) patients have been transferred to acute hospitals. These patients are facing more serious COVID-19 symptoms, and more of them will be transferred if required.

Those who are facing mild symptoms or are asymptomatic are still managed in IMH.

IMH Cluster

Of the COVID-19 cases at IMH, it has 278 patients and 16 staff members as of 3 Nov.

The cluster emerged on 25 Oct, with 108 inpatients and eight staff members. These cases were detected from IMH surveillance testing or picked up when the patients started developing respiratory symptoms.

According to a media statement on 25 Oct, most of the cases are long-stay patients. Previously, the inpatient cases mostly came from three blocks in the hospital – Block 4, 5 and 6.

Staff members who face patients wear N95 masks in clinical areas and undergo a Rostered Tourinte Testing (RTT). They are also reminded not to come to work if they are sick and to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Inpatients are also swabbed before they are admitted. They are also given masks to wear during their stay. Patients temperatures are checked twice a day and those that have any symptoms are isolated promptly.

IMH is currently working with National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to manage the inpatients that have contracted COVID-19.

They are also working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to manage the cluster and minimise the risk of future IMH clusters.

Outpatient Clinic Continues to Operate

Outpatient specialist clinics, clinical services and other wards in IMH continue to operate.

Priority will be given to those who need crisis care. As expected, a longer waiting time in some of these clinical areas for regular care is to be expected.

Active Clusters in Singapore

As of 3 Nov, MOH is monitoring nine large clusters with new cases.

The second-largest active cluster is Banyan Home @ Pelangi Village with 93 cases. One of the cases is a staff while the others are residents.

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