GEIS-新闻详情

Over 2,000 people sign up for tuberculosis screening in Jalan Bukit Merah

2024-01-11 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – More than 1,500 people, representing about 93 per cent of eligible residents, have signed up for mandatory tuberculosis (TB) screening in Jalan Bukit Merah, which started on Jan 11 and will end on Jan 15.

Another 500 individuals have signed up for voluntary screening.

This is in response to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) TB screening exercise at the area, after 10 new cases were detected there.

The screening is mandatory for residents and workers at Blocks 1 and 3 in Jalan Bukit Merah, ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, and Thong Kheng Seniors Activity Centre @ Queenstown as their potential risk of exposure is higher, MOH said.

Voluntary screening will be offered to those who are at lower risk of exposure, such as those who have visited the market and food centre, or Blocks 1, 2 and 3 for more than 12 hours in a month between November 2021 and January 2024, and former residents and tenants of Blocks 1 and 3.

A tent has been set up at the open carpark in the area for the screening of workers at the food centre and market, while house-to-house screening is being conducted for residents from Jan 11 to 13.

The 10 new cases were detected between February 2022 and July 2023.

Get a round-up of the top stories to start your day

Thank you!

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and T&Cs.

Genetic analysis conducted in September 2023 revealed that all 10 cases have a similar genetic make-up as the cluster of seven TB cases linked to Block 2 Jalan Bukit Merah in 2022.

All of the active TB disease cases have been treated and rendered not infectious.

At the screening station on Jan 11, Professor Vernon Lee, group director of the communicable diseases division at MOH, reiterated that the screening is being held as an additional precaution to identify any TB cases that might be undetected and, in doing so, prevent the risk of transmission as far as possible.

“TB is a curable disease if treated early. Therefore, we want to identify any cases, treat them early and prevent the transmission of TB,” he said.

The residents will get an SMS informing them of the test results in one to two weeks’ time. Those who test positive on the blood test will receive a call, asking them to do a chest X-ray at the same screening station later in January.

The screening is mandatory for residents and workers at blocks 1 and 3 in Jalan Bukit Merah; ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre; and Thong Kheng Seniors Activity Centre @ Queenstown. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

When The Straits Times visited the food market at around 2pm on Jan 11, several of the stalls were closed.

Workers at a few stalls said business had been slow since news of the TB screening broke on Jan 5. The workers said they have made appointments for the screening and will be heading to the screening station.

One of them, Mr Tan Kiap Teck, 63, who sells youtiao at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, said he saw a 20 to 30 per cent decrease in business after the TB screening announcement.

He said the decline in business could be higher for noodles and rice stores, where customers would prefer to dine at the food centre than order a takeaway, which is more popular with a youtiao stall like his.