“This may be available through existing telemedicine providers as well as a strengthened network of medical support with the Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) or polyclinics who have come on board the programme to help provide continuity of care for their patients,” said MOH.
For non-medical assistance, individuals can reach out to the Home Recovery Buddy Hotline at 6874 4939, it added.
Since the start of the home recovery programme, more than 19,000 patients have been recovering at home, of which more than 8,000 have fully recovered and been discharged.
Speaking at a COVID-19 multi-ministry task force press conference on Saturday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the country continues to make progress on the home recovery programme.
“We have beefed up the team further, today – other than the minority whose contact numbers are inaccurate – we are able to call all infected persons and onboard them within the day,” he said. “As for incoming calls, we can now attend to the great majority of callers. The telemedicine team has also been bolstered, so that they can attend to those who need medical attention.”
‘We wish we can be given more time to improve the processes that stabilise operations, but as we expect cases to rise further, we will need to press on, extend the programme even as we make improvements,” he added.
NEW COMMUNITY ISOLATION FACILITIES
Mr Ong said community care facilities and some government quarantine facilities will be gradually converted into community isolation facilities (CIFs).
These will be part of the home recovery programme operations, he said, adding that the move is a “necessary and sensible” one.
“The CIFs will allow those who are either not able to isolate themselves at home, or who may have vulnerable persons at home, to undergo recovery safely isolated in a separate premise from home,” he said.
“As more travellers perform their stay-home notice home, we could also potentially convert some SHN facilities to CIFs as well,” he added.
