Surge of Omicron Cases Sends Singapore Hospitals to Their Feet
Picture-Perfect Queues: More People Than the Last Big Wave
Singapore’s hospitals have turned into the latest hotspot for Covid-19, with a dizzying influx of Omicron cases. The result? Long, winding lines outside emergency doors that even the most patient locals can’t ignore.
Our Front‑line Heroes are Overwhelmed
- Staff on the day‑to‑day front have been posting a flurry of photos to the Instagram page SGNightingales to show how the emergency department at a local hospital has been swamped.
- There’s a steady stream of messages saying, “Real‑life situation captured yesterday. Our fellow healthcare professionals are really doing their best, and the truth is we cannot cope,” a sentiment echoed by the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital staff regarding their decontamination area.
- The snapshots show patients forming a “human line” that would make any marathon runner jealous.
Alluvial Appreciation from Netizens
In the comment sections, people have converted into “hype‑moms” for the healthcare crew: a steady barrage of “Thank you, heroes!” and heartfelt emojis. Followers have cheered on the overworked teams, showing that the nation’s pulse still beats strong and empathetic.
A Quick Note on the Current State of Affairs
While the surge is real and the world may be a bit tense right now, the S’best doctors and nurses have informed us that they are doing an admirable job, making the best use of limited PPE and hospital resources. Unfortunately, that said, the overflow of patients is a situation that is far from where we want to get.
At a Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce press conference on Wednesday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said there is stress felt in the healthcare system, especially those at the front end such as general practitioners (GPs) clinics, polyclinics and hospitals’ emergency departments (EDs).
“The GPs and EDs have been telling us that the great majority of patients who go to them have no symptoms or mild symptoms.”
He noted the importance of preserving hospital capacity so that care goes to those who need it most.
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Thus, Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms should instead visit quick test centres to take a supervised antigen rapid test and have results recorded in their HealthHub.
“Please consider using these avenues or simply recover at home, if your symptoms are mild or you have no symptoms,” Ong said.
On Wednesday, Singapore saw 16,883 new Covid-19 cases, a slight fall from the daily high of 19,420 cases the day before.
“If Singapore is like many other countries that have gone through, or are going through the Omicron wave, in a few weeks, cases will come down – perhaps even quite dramatically,” Ong added.
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COVID-19Covid-19 Omicron variantcoronavirusHospitalsMinistry of Health
