Singapore hospitals face longer emergency wait times as Covid-19 cases rise post-holiday
SINGAPORE, May 17 — Several hospitals in Singapore are experiencing longer waiting times at their emergency departments (EDs) this week due to a post-public holiday surge in demand, according to The Straits Times (ST).
In response to media queries, Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday that acute hospitals often see higher attendance at their EDs during specific times of the year, with the current rise consistent with the usual post-holiday trend, ST reported.
Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) confirmed the increase in separate Facebook posts on May 14, attributing it to the post-holiday period. The Ministry assured that triage procedures remain in place to prioritise patients with critical conditions, ensuring urgent cases receive prompt attention.
MOH added that inpatient teams have been activated to start treatment for patients awaiting admission at the ED to prevent delays in care. In some cases, patients may be transferred to other hospitals for further treatment.
According to ST, hospitals also cited a rise in Covid-19 cases as contributing to the congestion. Between April 27 and May 3, Singapore recorded 14,200 Covid-19 cases, up from 11,100 the previous week. CGH highlighted that some seniors admitted for other medical conditions were later found to be Covid-19 positive.
SKH noted that while the increase aligns with typical post-holiday trends, most cases were unrelated to Covid-19.
The National University Health System (NUHS), which oversees several hospitals, told ST that the current surge is consistent with past post-holiday periods. It also said there were no unusual patterns of illnesses.
To address the high patient load, hospitals are triaging patients based on acuity and priority, with senior emergency physicians reviewing cases to ensure appropriate admissions. NUHS has redeployed and increased its manpower to support ED operations, according to ST.
MOH and hospitals have urged the public to visit the ED only for serious or life-threatening emergencies. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms, such as a cough or sore throat, are encouraged to seek care from general practitioners or polyclinics instead.
The ministry also noted the availability of the Mobile Inpatient Care at Home (MIC@Home) programme, where teams of medical professionals provide care at patients' homes via teleconsultations and home visits. Medically stable patients may also be transferred to community hospitals or transitional care facilities to alleviate bed shortages, ST reported.
In Malaysia on May 1, the government officially revoked the declaration that classified all states and federal territories as infected local areas — a move marking the country's shift away from emergency pandemic measures — more than five years after it was put in place.
However, Covid-19 has not been entirely eradicated, data in Malaysia showed a slight uptick in active cases, rising from 8,488 on April 30 to 8,609 by May 3.
For comparison, during a similar period last year — May 12 to 18, 2024 — Malaysia recorded 1,230 Covid-19 infections.
Experts attributed this year's rise to waning immunity, increased travel, and reduced testing, but say the situation in Malaysia remains under control and is not a cause for alarm.
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