Archive of "Aids: Nurses seek transfer", The Straits Times, 15 April 1985

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Aids: Nurses seek transfer

By DELICE GAN

Delay admitting patients until centre is equipped, union urges

ABOTT 26 nurses have asked to be transferred out of the CommunicableDis ease Centre because they are afraid of dealing with Aids patients

The nurses* union, the Amalgamated Cm on of Public Em ployees (ACPE). wants the Health Ministry to delay admitting patients with the Aids virus until the centre is equipped to have them Three men have been found to have the Aids virus, hut they have not been admitted to hospital yet.

The ministry said last week that the three, all homosexual prostitutes, w ere "i link ally w ell,” but it has been learn! that one of them is now feeling unwell and has symptoms of what is known as ”Aids-related complex"

This us said to be the stage before the disease* » in fully, although it is still not known if the man will develop the full syndrome It is also not known if he now needs hospitalisation ACPE General Secre tary G Kandasamy said yesterday that the men needed hospitalisation. they should i* quarantined some where else, not at tne Communicable Disease Centre in Tan Tock Seng Hospital ‘•They should not be in the hospital where there are patients with other illnesses and who have relatives visiting them.** he said The union was concerned about whether it was in the public interest to let the three men move a^out freely "Aids is an infectious disease and it is incurable," Mr Kandasamy said.

It is understood that in a letter to the minis try, dated April 10. the union said that staff at the centre had not been briefed on procedures in handling Aids patients The union was worried that the ward earmarked for Aids patients. Ward 76. was not adequately equipped with staff safety in mind.

Among other things, the union pointed out that the nurses’ station and the patient care area were not clearly set apart It suggested that only staff who volunteer should be made to work in Ward 76. The union also called for a compensation scheme to be worked out for staff who may get the Aids virus during their work.

Mr Kandasamy said that he had not yet received a reply from the ministry A source at the Communicable Disease Centre said there was some panic among the nurses, who were not mentally prepared for the Aids patients The source said that the centre had only a few days' notice that the men may be hospitalised but preparations had been made to receive them The nurses had been assured that they would not be asked to take hlood samples from these patients, thus reducing the risk of their getting the Aids virus if they accidentally pricked themselves while withdrawing blood.

Health Ministry officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

• If Aids strikes Singapore — Section Two, Page One.

=See also=
 * Archive of "Three in S’pore found with Aids-linked virus", The Straits Times, 10 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids virus: Doctor who 'found it'", The Sunday Times, 14 April 1985
 * Archive of "A chance to be ahead in medicine", The Singapore Monitor, 16 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids on ‘must report’ list", The Straits Times, 17 April 1985
 * Archive of "Undergrads to be taught about Aids", The Straits Times, 21 April 1885
 * Archive of "16 more may be carriers of Aids virus", The Straits Times, 30 April 1985
 * Archive of "Aids doctor thanks mum", The Straits Times, 12 May 1985
 * Archive of "Special lab to do Aids tests soon", The Straits Times, 18 May 1985
 * Archive of "Man with Aids related virus in hospital", The Straits Times, 21 July 1985
 * Archive of "Aids carrier leaves hospital", The Straits Times, 28 July 1985
 * Archive of "Ministry steps up Aids drive", The Straits Times, 5 September 1985
 * Archive of "Singapore ‘first in the world’ to have 100 % screening of donor blood", The Straits Times, 11 September 1985
 * Archive of "S’pore-Stanford research tie-up bid", The Straits Times, 10 October 1985
 * Archive of "Aids: 20,000 cleared", The Straits Times, 29 November 1985
 * Archive of "200 turn up for first public medical convention", The Straits Times, 28 April 1986
 * Archive of "Screening tests likely to uncover more Aids carriers", The Straits Times, 1 May 1986
 * Archive of "100 people could be Aids carriers here: Expert", The Straits Times, 3 August 1986
 * Archive of "Aids claims first victim here", The Straits Times, 11 April 1987
 * Archive of "Fear of Aids pushes up condom sales", The Straits Times, 19 April 1987
 * Archive of "Govt dental clinics phasing out boiling", The Straits Times, 1 October 1987
 * Earliest cases of HIV/AIDS in Singapore
 * HIV/AIDS in Singapore's LGBT community
 * Paddy Chew
 * Avin Tan
 * Ajmal Khan
 * Calvin Tan
 * Adrian Tyler

=References=
 * Delice Gan, "Aids: Nurses seek transfer", The Straits Times, 15 April 1985[].

=Acknowledgements=

This article was archived by Roy Tan.