From today (Feb 18), about 900 general practitioner clinics have been progressively reactivated as Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) to better detect and manage Covid-19 virus, and thus, reduce the rate of transmission. Polyclinics have also been activated for the same purpose.

According to the Ministry of Health, these clinics have been taught the importance of infection control, are familiar with appropriate care protocols, and will be supplied with necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to deal with cases. PHPCs were last in place to deal with the haze and, in 2009, the H1N1 pandemic.

This time, about 900 GP clinics islandwide have been roped in as PHPCs. And there’s an easy way to find them. Go to https://www.flugowhere.gov.sg/ to find out which ones are the closest to you. Bookmark the site, or add the nearest clinics to your Google Maps list, if you will. But most importantly, go to the doctor if you have any respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose.

To encourage people with symptoms to seek treatment, patients who visit PHPCs and polyclinics will enjoy subsidised rates from Feb 18. Singapore citizens and PR pay a subsidised flat rate of $10 for consultation and treatment of respiratory illness, while Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation seniors pay $5. Doctors are to give five-day MC to patients with respiratory symptoms, and if the conditions persist, folks are encouraged to return to the same GP for further assessement.

More info at https://www.flugowhere.gov.sg/.

Main photo: Pexels