Hospitals Protect service providers who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients
I refer to the plea by Ministry of Health director of medical services Kenneth Mak not to shun healthcare workers and staff from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) (Show support for TTSH workers: Mak, May 5).

Yes, it looks like the public has been shunning TTSH workers since the Covid-19 outbreak there. According to friends who work at TTSH, it is now difficult for TTSH staff to book a taxi, as very few taxi drivers are willing to pick up passengers from the hospital.

The fear of these taxi drivers, though unfair and unwarranted, is understandable. If the passenger turns out to be a Covid-19 patient, the cab driver would be identified as someone who had been in close contact with the patient for a relatively prolonged period of time.

The taxi driver may subsequently be served a quarantine order.

As taxi drivers are considered self-employed people, being quarantined would mean losing income for 14 days. That would be a great financial loss for them.

There should be policies to protect those who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients.

As long as both passengers and taxi drivers practise safe management measures, like wearing a surgical mask throughout the ride, drivers should be assured that they will not be issued a quarantine order.

Similar policies should also be formulated for staff in restaurants, retail shops and so on.

Urging the public not to shun TTSH healthcare workers is a good move. But the authorities can do more by issuing concrete policies to protect those who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients.

Desmond Wai (Dr)

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-protect-service-providers-who-come-in-contact-with-potential-covid-19-patients

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