Tan Tock Seng Hospital is now admitting only foreign workers with severe chicken pox to ease the shortage of beds.
The surge in the number of patients this year leading to the shortage of beds for patients is mainly due to a rise in the number of dengue cases and foreign workers with chicken pox.
But the Communicable Disease Centre at Tan Tock Seng said that while most cases of dengue were severe enough to be admitted, very few cases of chicken pox were serious enough to warrant hospitalisation.
In most cases, the foreign workers with chicken pox are hospitalised so that they do not spread the disease among fellow workers in their quarters.
Dr Leo Yee Sin, Clinical Director, Communicable Disease Centre, TTSH, said: "The purpose of admitting individuals in the hospital is to isolate effectively. It takes about 5 or 6 days since the first onset...it's a relatively long stay for a relatively mild condition."
Dr Leo said: "Essentially we are seeing an increase in the number of foreign workers with chicken pox and it has been the historical practice for the CDC to be used as the care provision area for anyone with chicken pox. In addition to that, the treatment provided to foreign workers is also provided free as it's a historical arrangement with the Health Ministry...that becomes the workable solution for the foreign workers as well as the employers."
About 30,000 people are diagnosed with chicken pox every year, of which 1,000 are foreign workers.
And 50 percent of these usually seek treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
However admission for a foreign worker is now based on medical condition, like whether the patient has complications as a result of chicken pox.
As a result, such cases admitted has gone down from 20 a day, to about 5 workers.
But Dr Leo said that the more workable solution was to have foreign workers vaccinated against chicken pox.
"CDC has no legal powers to impose vaccination but we would like to work with any of the authorities who want to explore using vaccination to reduce the incidence of chicken pox," Dr Leo told our reporter.
Dr Leo said that employers could also set up isolation quarters for workers where they could rest and recover from the virus.
The issue of foreign workers with chicken pox contributing to the shortage of beds at Tan Tock Seng Hospital has been highlighted in Parliament.
Tan Tock Seng Hospital said it was looking into several measures to ease the congestion, including spreading the patient load among other hospitals. - CNA /ch
I think any foreign worker who wants to come to Singapore should get a Chicken pox jab beforehand, unless he has had the disease before.