With vaccination rates passing the 80% mark, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has kicked off the Home Recovery Pilot Programme on 30 Aug.
The programme carefully selects fully vaccinated Covid-19 patients who have suitable home conditions and show mild or no symptoms before their discharge.
While in isolation, a Home Recovery Buddy will make regular check-ins, and all members of the same household will have to serve a 14-day Home Quarantine Order (HQO).
According to a Facebook post by MOH, the Home Recovery Pilot Programme is a way for Covid-19 patients with no or minor symptoms to recover in the comfort of their homes.
During this period, patients will need to reside within one room in their homes.
But in order to do that, MOH will need to deem their houses suitable. Requirements include having a separate room with a bathroom attached to it. While it should have good ventilation, any windows in the room should not open to common areas.
Patients should not have any physical contact with household members throughout their isolation and recovery.
All household members meanwhile will have to serve a HQO. Besides adhering to HQO restrictions strictly, they must remain in their homes at all times.
As for managing daily necessities, household members are encouraged to have food and groceries delivered to their homes through contactless transactions.
As far as MOH is concerned, the quality of care provided at home and in an isolation facility is indistinguishable. Under the Home Recovery programme, patients will have access to telemedicine services throughout the day.
This pilot programme alleviates the burden on the healthcare personnel in our facilities. It also provides the patients with a less anxiety-inducing environment to recover in.
So by killing two birds with one stone, we can hopefully make great strides in our move towards treating Covid-19 as endemic.
It’s still vital that if you are issued an HQO that you abide by it strictly. The trust that the MOH has given to you should not be taken for granted. A slip up could result in dire scenarios.
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Featured image adapted from gunman47 on Flickr.
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