Visitation Policies for Visits to Severely Ill Patients in Hospitals and Care Homes

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health with regard to hospital visits to severely ill patients in hospitals and care homes, whether the Ministry will consider (i) empowering healthcare professionals with some discretion as to visitation policies on compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis if this is not already the case and (ii) requiring hospitals and care homes to make ART test kits available for sale to visitors.

Mr Deputy Speaker, in-person visits to hospital wards and residential care homes, or homes, are suspended from 24 January to 20 March 2022 to protect our healthcare capacity. Hospitals and homes have the discretion to allow visits for exceptional cases, for example, if the patient or resident is severely ill. MOH had made exceptions for severely ill patients in hospitals to have up to five pre-registered visitors. [Please refer to "Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Health", Official Report, 18 February 2022, Vol 95, Issue No 49, Clarification section.]