Debated in Parliament on 13 Sep 2016.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are the courses of action when a potential teacher or staff tests positive for tuberculosis (TB) during pre-employment screening; (b) what are the precautionary measures that affected and non-affected schools or childcare centres should take; and (c) what is the potential for TB spreading in schools or childcare centres given exposure to an infected person.
Under the Child Care Centres Regulations, new staff members need to undergo a chest X-ray and be certified to be free from active tuberculosis (TB) by a registered medical practitioner before they can start work in centres. Centres are also advised to monitor for any persistent coughing among their staff members and children to allow for early diagnosis and treatment.
Childcare centres are required by law to immediately report any known or suspected TB cases to parents of all children enrolled in their childcare centre, a health officer, and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Similar precautionary measures are implemented in schools, which are required to pre-screen their staff before they start work, and report known TB cases to the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Upon diagnosing a case of active TB, the TB Control Unit conducts free contact tracing among children and staff members to identify those at risk of contracting TB. These individuals will then be offered free TB screening. The Ministry of Health also notifies ECDA and MOE of cases in childcare centres and schools respectively. Meanwhile, staff members who test positive for active TB are not permitted to enter the childcare centre or school until they are certified to be fit for return by a registered medical practitioner.
Childcare centres and schools can continue operations as long as they exclude persons who show symptoms of TB, such as persistent coughing, from their centres.
Persons without symptoms do not pose further risk of infection to others. Most persons with the latent form of TB also do not develop the infectious form. Furthermore, persons with active TB rapidly become non-infectious once they start their treatment. In any case, persons with symptoms cannot transmit the disease through activities, such as sharing utensils or shaking hands. Transmission is limited to close and prolonged contact with persons showing symptoms of TB.
Childcare centres and schools generally abide by the precautionary measures and regulatory safeguards. They also work closely with the TB Control Unit, and ECDA or MOE to ensure the safety of children.
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