SINGAPORE: Newly arrived migrant workers who have travelled to West Bengal must undergo daily temperature checks while staying at their onboard centre in Singapore, and continue to monitor their own temperature and symptoms for 14 days from their arrival.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) provided these details on Tuesday (Feb 3) in response to CNA's queries after the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) announced its initial response to a Nipah virus outbreak in India.
Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus have been confirmed in India's West Bengal state since December.
No new cases have been reported in Singapore.
The zoonotic virus spreads from animals to humans, and is transmitted mainly through exposure to bats and consumption of date palm sap or fruits contaminated by bats. People-to-people transmission is rare but possible.
A "relatively small number" of migrant workers from West Bengal arrive in Singapore each month, said an MOM spokesperson.
Surveillance measures at the onboard centre and dormitories have been tightened as a precautionary measure, the spokesperson added.
The onboard centre is where work permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors receive their orientation. A typical three-day stay includes a medical exam, vaccination check and settling-in programme.
Under the current process at the onboard centre, all newly arrived migrant workers must sanitise their hands, wear surgical masks and have their temperature taken upon arrival.
They are also required to respond to a health questionnaire to check for symptoms like fever, cough, rashes and a runny nose.
As part of the tightened surveillance measures, headache has been added to the health questionnaire, in line with the reported symptoms of the Nipah virus, said MOM's spokesperson.
The new arrivals are asked to declare if they have travelled to West Bengal, and those who have must undergo daily temperature checks at the onboard centre.
Those with symptoms and travel history to West Bengal will be isolated and further assessed by a medical professional for appropriate treatment.
Those who have been to West Bengal must continue to monitor their own temperature and symptoms for 14 days from their arrival in Singapore, and are advised to seek medical help if they develop symptoms, said the spokesperson.
For migrant workers already residing in Singapore, existing healthcare arrangements remain in place through MOM's primary care medical centres for those who are unwell, said the ministry spokesperson.
MOM has advised primary care providers to increase vigilance for migrant workers who display "Nipah-like" symptoms or have recently travelled to West Bengal.
Migrant workers would also be reminded to maintain good personal hygiene practices like hand-washing and mask-wearing when unwell, said MOM's spokesperson.
MOM-appointed primary care plan anchor operators told CNA they are taking steps to increase vigilance in light of the Nipah virus cases in India.
St Andrew's Mission Hospital is the designated anchor operator for a zone where more than 100,000 migrant workers reside.
A spokesperson for St Andrew's Migrant Worker Medical Centre said all patients are asked about recent travel to Bangladesh or West Bengal.
If patients have flu-like symptoms, they will be assessed for increased risk factors for Nipah virus infection, including close contact with confirmed cases or consumption of raw date palm sap.
St Andrew's Migrant Worker Medical Centre has not encountered any suspected cases to date, said the spokesperson.
If there are any suspected cases, there are established workflows to isolate the patients, manage and refer them to the CDA and facilitate their transfer to the designated emergency departments, added the spokesperson.
Another anchor operator, Fullerton Health, is also monitoring the situation closely and working in line with national advisories.
Dr Marcus Lee, medical director of clinical quality and governance, said the group's doctors have been briefed on the clinical features of the Nipah virus and the importance of taking relevant travel and exposure histories during consultations.
Fullerton Health is also providing relevant guidance to corporate clients and stakeholders to support workplace health monitoring and early identification where appropriate, he said.
Dr Lee said that routine clinic operations in migrant worker dormitories already include screening and segregation protocols for patients with fever or respiratory symptoms.
"As a step-up precautionary measure, additional screening questions are being incorporated to assess recent travel and relevant exposure history within the past 14 days, in accordance with national guidance," he said.
"While there are currently no reported cases of (Nipah virus) in Singapore and no indication of sustained community transmission locally, we continue to monitor the situation closely as part of Singapore's broader public health surveillance framework."
MOM's spokesperson added that advisories have been disseminated to migrant workers in their native languages through the FWMOMCare app, as well as to employers.
Dormitory operators are also guided on handling suspected cases of Nipah virus, such as with prompt reporting and isolation before the patients are conveyed to a medical facility.
Migrant worker dormitories became virus hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic, with infections spreading among tens of thousands of workers living in reportedly cramped conditions.
Dormitory standards have been raised since then, including stricter requirements for isolation facilities.
Continue reading...
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) provided these details on Tuesday (Feb 3) in response to CNA's queries after the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) announced its initial response to a Nipah virus outbreak in India.
Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus have been confirmed in India's West Bengal state since December.
No new cases have been reported in Singapore.
The zoonotic virus spreads from animals to humans, and is transmitted mainly through exposure to bats and consumption of date palm sap or fruits contaminated by bats. People-to-people transmission is rare but possible.
A "relatively small number" of migrant workers from West Bengal arrive in Singapore each month, said an MOM spokesperson.
Surveillance measures at the onboard centre and dormitories have been tightened as a precautionary measure, the spokesperson added.
The onboard centre is where work permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors receive their orientation. A typical three-day stay includes a medical exam, vaccination check and settling-in programme.
Under the current process at the onboard centre, all newly arrived migrant workers must sanitise their hands, wear surgical masks and have their temperature taken upon arrival.
They are also required to respond to a health questionnaire to check for symptoms like fever, cough, rashes and a runny nose.
As part of the tightened surveillance measures, headache has been added to the health questionnaire, in line with the reported symptoms of the Nipah virus, said MOM's spokesperson.
The new arrivals are asked to declare if they have travelled to West Bengal, and those who have must undergo daily temperature checks at the onboard centre.
Those with symptoms and travel history to West Bengal will be isolated and further assessed by a medical professional for appropriate treatment.
Those who have been to West Bengal must continue to monitor their own temperature and symptoms for 14 days from their arrival in Singapore, and are advised to seek medical help if they develop symptoms, said the spokesperson.
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MORE VIGILANCE BY MEDICAL PROVIDERS
For migrant workers already residing in Singapore, existing healthcare arrangements remain in place through MOM's primary care medical centres for those who are unwell, said the ministry spokesperson.
MOM has advised primary care providers to increase vigilance for migrant workers who display "Nipah-like" symptoms or have recently travelled to West Bengal.
Migrant workers would also be reminded to maintain good personal hygiene practices like hand-washing and mask-wearing when unwell, said MOM's spokesperson.
MOM-appointed primary care plan anchor operators told CNA they are taking steps to increase vigilance in light of the Nipah virus cases in India.
St Andrew's Mission Hospital is the designated anchor operator for a zone where more than 100,000 migrant workers reside.
A spokesperson for St Andrew's Migrant Worker Medical Centre said all patients are asked about recent travel to Bangladesh or West Bengal.
If patients have flu-like symptoms, they will be assessed for increased risk factors for Nipah virus infection, including close contact with confirmed cases or consumption of raw date palm sap.
St Andrew's Migrant Worker Medical Centre has not encountered any suspected cases to date, said the spokesperson.
If there are any suspected cases, there are established workflows to isolate the patients, manage and refer them to the CDA and facilitate their transfer to the designated emergency departments, added the spokesperson.
Another anchor operator, Fullerton Health, is also monitoring the situation closely and working in line with national advisories.
Dr Marcus Lee, medical director of clinical quality and governance, said the group's doctors have been briefed on the clinical features of the Nipah virus and the importance of taking relevant travel and exposure histories during consultations.
Fullerton Health is also providing relevant guidance to corporate clients and stakeholders to support workplace health monitoring and early identification where appropriate, he said.
Dr Lee said that routine clinic operations in migrant worker dormitories already include screening and segregation protocols for patients with fever or respiratory symptoms.
"As a step-up precautionary measure, additional screening questions are being incorporated to assess recent travel and relevant exposure history within the past 14 days, in accordance with national guidance," he said.
"While there are currently no reported cases of (Nipah virus) in Singapore and no indication of sustained community transmission locally, we continue to monitor the situation closely as part of Singapore's broader public health surveillance framework."
MOM's spokesperson added that advisories have been disseminated to migrant workers in their native languages through the FWMOMCare app, as well as to employers.
Dormitory operators are also guided on handling suspected cases of Nipah virus, such as with prompt reporting and isolation before the patients are conveyed to a medical facility.
Migrant worker dormitories became virus hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic, with infections spreading among tens of thousands of workers living in reportedly cramped conditions.
Dormitory standards have been raised since then, including stricter requirements for isolation facilities.
Continue reading...