COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period Services Resumption

The COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period, from 2020 April 7th to June 1st, entailed the restriction of services to those that were essential. There will be 2 phases for the resumption of services:

  1. From 19th May 2020 onwards.
  2. After the end of the circuit breaker period.

Essential services ongoing. Call before coming:

Tele-consultation and medicine delivery is available for the following (WhatsApp +6586687446 or call +6564467446):

  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Smoking cessation
  • Hair loss

Please contact us if you need clarification.

 

SINGAPORE MINISTRY OF HEALTH TIERED RESUMPTION OF HEALTH SERVICES DURING & AFTER COVID-19 CIRCUIT BREAKER PERIOD

Circular 93/2020 (Circular on Services Deferment and Reduction during COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period, 6 April 2020) directed healthcare institutions (HCIs) to defer healthcare services which were triaged as non-essential while essential services1 and COVID related operations should continue. This Circular provides instructions on the gradual resumption of more healthcare services during and after the post Circuit Breaker (CB) period. This Circular will supersede Circular 93/2020.

 

ANNEX A

Examples of Essential Services that have not been deferred during Circuit Breaker period

  1. COVID-19-related care and services
  2. Screening, testing and treatment of infectious diseases
  3. Emergency medical and psychiatric conditions such as breathlessness, heart attack, etc.
  4. Acute stroke and neurosurgical services
  5. Acute cardiac and cardiothoracic procedures such as ePCI, ECMO
  6. Trauma services
  7. Burns
  8. Procedures or surgeries required to prevent deterioration of the patient’s condition
  9. Urgent organ transplantation services including bone marrow transplants
  10. Dialysis services and other renal replacement services
  11. Cancer services when delayed would increase the chances of relapse or deterioration, including high risk biopsies
  12. Services which would be impacted by time delay, such as in-vitro-fertilisation services, abortion services, etc.
  13. Blood donation services and transfusion services
  14. Radiography, phlebotomy, respiratory therapy, and other essential allied health services in hospitals
  15. Management of chronic diseases with recent relapses and/or poor control, and medication refills. If patients are stable, where possible, switch to tele-consult and medicine delivery
  16. Obstetric and child delivery
  17. Outpatient antibiotic therapies
  18. Acute outpatient consultations for patients with respiratory symptoms and other acute symptoms
  19. TCM adjuvant treatment for cancer and chronic conditions
  20. Emergency dental services and procedures
  21. Child immunisation and developmental assessment for 0 to 18 months
  22. Neonatal jaundice screening
  23. Wound dressing
  24. Inpatient rehabilitation, sub-acute, palliative and chronic sick services provided by Community Hospitals. However, rehab and therapy services which are maintenance in nature should be considered non-essential services.
  25. Mental health services including counselling, psychology services for patients who have unstable mental health conditions who might be in danger of harm to self or to others. If patients are stable, where possible, switch to tele-consult and medicine delivery.

Supporting services which are crucial in ensuring the smooth provision of the above essential services will also be allowed to continue, e.g. kitchen, housekeeping, security, cleaning, courier

 

Column A

For Resumption from 18 May 2020

Services that cannot be further deferred for >2 weeks subject to available capacity (manpower/ drugs/ beds), or where continued suspension will lead to adverse outcomes

In addition to continuing essential services (Annex A):

  • Recommended adult vaccinations (seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccination)
  • New referrals for services that cannot be delayed e.g. Child Development, urgent specialist referrals
  • Higher need allied health professional (AHP) services and ancillary services (e.g. podiatry, diabetic eye/foot screening)

 

Column B

For Resumption after end of Circuit Breaker period

Services that cannot be deferred for >4 weeks subject to available capacity (manpower/ drugs/ beds)

  • As in Column A
  • Other recommended adult vaccinations
  • Cancer screening (high risk patients)/ surveillance services, including scopes
  • Chronic appointments that were deferred by > 3 months
  • AHP and ancillary services supporting chronic disease management
  • RHS-led community services: Home/ physical visits for existing patients, and critical and essential new referrals

 

References

2020 May 19th – TIERED RESUMPTION OF HEALTH SERVICES DURING & AFTER COVID-19 CIRCUIT BREAKER PERIOD

2020 April 7th – COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period

COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period

During the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period, from 2020 April 7th to June 1st, the following are the lists of services which are ongoing and deferred:

Essential services ongoing. Call before coming.:

Non-essential services deferred till after 1st June 2020.

  • Botox (B1)
  • Laser tattoo removal (B1)
  • Hair loss treatment (B1)
  • Acne treatment (B1)
  • Slimming treatment (B1)
  • Adult vaccinations (B13)
  • Influenza vaccination (B13)
  • Regular contraception (B14)
  • Work permit/pass renewal (B15)
  • Testosterone deficiency syndrome

Tele-consultation and medicine delivery is available for the following (Call +6564467446 or WhatsApp +6586687446):

  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Smoking cessation

Please contact us if you need clarification.

 

SINGAPORE MINISTRY OF HEALTH CIRCULAR ON SERVICES DEFERMENT AND REDUCTION DURING COVID-19 CIRCUIT BREAKER PERIOD

Multi-Ministerial Task Force announced the implementation of very high safe distancing measures to reduce the risk of further local transmission of COVID-19. All non-essential activities (including businesses) will be suspended during this period. For licensed healthcare institutions, clinical services which are triaged as non-essential should be deferred from 7 April onwards for 4 weeks while essential services and COVID related operations should be continued.

 

Annex A. Examples of Essential Services

  1. COVID-19-related care and services
  2. Screening, testing and treatment of infectious diseases
  3. Emergency medical and psychiatric conditions such as breathlessness, heart attack, etc.
  4. Acute stroke and neurosurgical services
  5. Acute cardiac and cardiothoracic procedures such as ePCI, ECMO
  6. Trauma services
  7. Burns
  8. Procedures or surgeries required to prevent deterioration of the patient’s condition
  9. Urgent organ transplantation services including bone marrow transplants
  10. Dialysis services and other renal replacement services
  11. Cancer services when delayed would increase the chances of relapse or deterioration, including high risk biopsies
  12. Services which would be impacted by time delay, such as in-vitro-fertilisation services, abortion services, etc.
  13. Blood donation services and transfusion services
  14. Radiography, phlebotomy, respiratory therapy, and other essential allied health services in hospitals
  15. Management of chronic diseases with recent relapses and/or poor control, and medication refills. If patients are stable, if possible, switch to tele-consult and medicine delivery
  16. Obstetric and child delivery
  17. Outpatient antibiotic therapies
  18. Acute outpatient consultations for patients with respiratory symptoms and other acute symptoms
  19. TCM adjuvant treatment for cancer and chronic conditions
  20. Child immunisation and developmental assessment for 0 to 18 months
  21. Neonatal jaundice screening
  22. Wound dressing
  23. Inpatient rehabilitation, sub-acute, palliative and chronic sick services provided by Community Hospitals. However, rehab and therapy services which are maintenance in nature should be considered non-essential services.
  24. Mental health services including counselling, psychology services for patients who have unstable mental health conditions who might be in danger of harm to self or to others. If patients are stable, where possible, switch to tele-consult and medicine delivery.
  25. House call by doctors for patients with urgent needs but not constituting a medical emergency

Supporting services which are crucial in ensuring the smooth provision of the above essential services will also be allowed to continue, e.g. kitchen, housekeeping, security, cleaning, courier.

 

Annex B. Examples of Non-Essential Services

  1. Aesthetic services
  2. Outpatient nursing, rehab/ therapy, and other allied health services such as diabetic foot and eye screening, dietetics, counselling, social work, psychologist, podiatry, etc.
  3. Community outreach activities
  4. Community nursing post
  5. Management of stable sports medicine related conditions
  6. Elective joint replacement surgeries for stable joint arthropathies
  7. Elective eye procedures including cataract surgeries for stable cataracts
  8. Skin conditions which are stable on long term follow up
  9. Stable ENT conditions and elective ENT procedures such as septoplasty
  10. Screening/surveillance services including scopes
  11. Stable renal stones with no recurrent symptoms
  12. Other TCM services, including acupuncture
  13. Adult vaccination, including influenza vaccination
  14. Well women services
  15. Statutory health assessments for driving license and foreign domestic workers

The above services may continue remotely only if tele-consultation is feasible, or for cases assessed to have urgent needs.

Staff who do not need to be based on-site at the healthcare facilities should tele-commute as far as possible. e.g. back office functions that can continue remotely.

 

References

2020 April 6th – CIRCULAR ON SERVICES DEFERMENT AND REDUCTION DURING COVID-19 CIRCUIT BREAKER PERIOD

2020 May 19th – COVID-19 Circuit Breaker Period Services Resumption

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