Group photo of the SARS screening medical team from RIPAS Hospital

A total of 166 patients were screened for the disease Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) since March with the implementation of a well-planned and proper SARS screening procedure that was operational since early March at the RIPAS Hospital, a hospital well equipped in detecting any SARS cases in the country. In a briefing, Dr Haji Zulaidi bin Haji Abd Latif explained in detail the SARS screening procedure.

The new screening facility which is found outside the Accident and Emergency area at the hospital is equipped with a well ventilated system with negative pressure to prevent any spread of virus, as accordance with the World Health Organisation's standards.

All medical staff and doctors are required to wear preventive goggles, masks, suits, gloves and shoes when they check their patients everyday and the wards and rooms are disinfected by a cleaning crew.

In the first phase of the screening, each patient has to go through a question and answer session whereby the patient is asked three important questions by the medical staff, questions like whether the patients have been to any SARS infected countries and whether they have a fever or any respiratory problems. At the same time, doctors will also check the patient's temperature with medical equipment.

If a patient's response to all the three questions is positive, then he or she will undergo the second phase of screening, which is to segregate the patient in another room to prevent infecting others. X-Ray and blood test will be taken for any SARS virus. The whole procedure will take one-and-a-half hour to complete.

Lastly, the suspected SARS patients will be quarantined in isolated room for at least 10 days in the hospital.

Those patients who responded positively to two of the questions asked will also have to go through further medical examinations to make sure that they do not carry the SARS virus.

Dr Haji Zulaidi also stated that every hospital in each district has the same screening facility to screen suspected SARS patients.

Those patients with probable and suspected SARS cases will be quarantined at least 10 days while those with surveillance status will be allowed to go home with verbally and written advices from their doctors and at the same time the medical team will be making house call everyday to check on patients.

When asked on any new SARS contact, Dr Haji Zulaidi said there is no confirmation of such cases yet.

On the Singaporean who escaped quarantine in Singapore and came to Brunei, Dr Haji Zulaidi said he is still under quarantine and has not showed any sign of SARS so far.