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'This is poor planning': Covid-19 home recovery patients voice confusion, frustration over what to do
A chat group has surfaced on messaging app Telegram for the patients to share their experiences and pool information.PHOTO: ST FILE
Linette Lai
Political Correspondent
UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
SINGAPORE - Frustration and confusion are mounting on the ground as Singapore's healthcare system works to cope with the latest surge in Covid-19 cases.
While some people have said they are unable to contact the Ministry of Health (MOH) for official advice on their specific situations, others have complained about the long lag times between testing positive and being taken to a recovery facility.
A chat group - SG Quarantine Order Support Group - has surfaced on messaging app Telegram for people to share their experiences and pool information.
The Straits Times spoke to five people who have either contracted the virus themselves, or have family members who did.
Most requested not to use their full names.
Home recovery with no support
Shortly after Mr Chow tested positive on Sept 13, he received a call telling him to pack seven days' worth of clothes as he would be taken to a community care facility.But there was no follow-up.
The 37-year-old has been at home since then. He has been taking regular antigen rapid tests (ARTs), which have come up negative over the past few days. But he is not sure if he is allowed to resume normal life, as phone operators on the MOH hotline have told him to wait for further instructions.
His TraceTogether status also shows he is "not cleared", meaning that he will not be able to dine at restaurants unless he receives a written exemption.
People on MOH's home recovery scheme are supposed to be assessed by a doctor via telemedicine and be matched with a buddy who will provide necessary support. But Mr Chow has not been contacted by anyone.
"I'm aware that there are a lot of cases now, and I don't want to waste resources by calling MOH all the time," he said. "But if you want people to recover at home, at least give them some clear guidance or some kind of support."
Elderly mother left alone
Mr Liau's 82-year-old father tested positive on Sept 15 and was taken to hospital three days later.This left his 79-year-old mother - who was symptomatic and had also tested positive using an ART - alone at home for the next four days.
"My mother is the one we are very worried about," said Mr Liau, 42. "She was recently discharged from the hospital for having fainting spells, and she has been alone by herself since Saturday."
He tried to contact the Health Ministry, but succeeded only recently. On Wednesday (Sept 22), an official was sent to his parents' house to administer a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test - one week after she had tested positive with an ART kit.
The family is now awaiting the PCR test result to find out what happens next.
"Without that test result, it's like she's in no man's land," said Mr Liau, who works in the aerospace maintenance industry. "She can't leave the house, she can't be admitted to hospital, she can't go anywhere."
Six-year-old son tests positive
It has been seven days since Mr Bruce Lee's son tested positive for Covid-19.But apart from an initial visit to a general practitioner to get him tested, the six-year-old has not received any formal medical care.
Mr Lee, 54, has been attempting to contact MOH for help, especially since the GP suggested that a child his son's age should recover in a medical facility. But he has not heard back yet.
He said: "We are talking about my child, who has a history of seizures. His fever has gone up and down, and you don't know when it will just shoot up."
Apart from a fever, his son has also been coughing, sneezing and complaining of a sore throat. Although his son's condition has improved, Mr Lee remains worried as the boy's ART result remains positive.
He is also frustrated at the lack of coordination on the ground, as his calls have been bounced around to various agencies.
"If you planned for a steep increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, you should plan your resources," the IT manager said. "This is poor planning."
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