Joint Ministry Of Health & Ren Ci Hospital Press Release - New SARS Facility Next To Tan Tock Seng Hospital

17 Apr 2003

All Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) patients are currently being isolated and treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC).

There is currently a need to increase the numbers of isolation rooms to cater for patients with suspect SARS. At the same time, the additional capacity will supplement the isolation facilities available in the CDC, when TTSH resumes its normal operations once the present outbreak is controlled.

The proximity of the newly renovated Ren Ci Community Hospital to TTSH and CDC lends itself to be most appropriate for this purpose. Ren Ci Community Hospital, together with the plans to upgrade CDC concurrently, should help provide sufficient facilities for the management of SARS patients, till the new CDC is built, probably in 3 to 4 years? time.

It may take about 3 months to retrofit the building due to the requirements for ensuite single rooms, a mini operating theatre, ICU beds, screening facilities and other medical and nursing areas. On completion, the new facility will provide about 56 isolation rooms, 48 cohort beds and 16 ICU beds. Together with CDC, these 2 facilities will have a total of 146 isolation rooms, 74 cohort beds and 16 ICU beds, close to the 149 isolation rooms, 46 cohort beds and 22 ICU beds currently provided by TTSH and CDC. The number of ICU beds, though fewer, has been assessed to be adequate.

Venerable Shi Ming Yi, Chairman of Ren Ci Hospital, graciously agreed to Ministry?s request to give up the Community Hospital. Ministry is fully aware that Venerable Ming Yi and Ren Ci staff has worked very hard and are looking forward to the opening of the community hospital. In acceding to Ministry?s request, Ren Ci has made it possible for Ministry to plan for the setting up of the SARS facility expeditiously at this critical moment of medical emergency.

The Ministry would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to Ren Ci Hospital for its understanding. The Ministry will work with Ren Ci to identify a new site for the new community hospital in due course. The Ministry of Health will reimburse Ren Ci for the expenses incurred in developing the new Community Hospital.