ON the first day this private clinic made its staff put on gowns, gloves and N95 masks - the full personal protection equipment for healthcare workers - in walked a female patient suspected to have H1N1.
This happened last Wednesday, when a female patient who had a fever, cough and a runny nose came into the clinic and said she had returned from Japan three days earlier.
The clinic assistants immediately swung into action and gave her a mask to put on, ushered her to a separate area at the back of the clinic and informed the doctor.
At the same time, patients with young children were asked to wait outside the clinic, while the staff used a special alcohol and disinfectant sprays to clean the reception area.
Dr Robin Tan, 30, upon checking the patient and seeing her symptoms, decided to call 993 for an ambulance to take her to the Communicable Disease Centre for testing.
The patient eventually tested negative for the virus.
My Family Clinic on Senja Road in Bukit Panjang is prepared to cope with any suspect patients who walk in.
The clinic which has the 'H1N1 Ready' decal on its door, is on the list of some 450 private clinics which can be activated as a Pandemic Preparedness Clinics to help treat mild cases of H1N1.
Clinic assistant Shirin Kamarudin, 37, said that while she wasn't afraid of the risk of getting the H1N1 flu virus, she was worried about her four children aged three to 14.
'The very first thing I do when I get home is to bathe and change out of my clothes,' she said.
'I am very glad that our clinic took the initiative to give the staff personal protective equipment. It is a good precautionary measure since we may get more suspected cases who walk in.'
For now, the clinic will call for an ambulance to take any suspected cases to the hospital for testing.
Said Dr Tan: 'We can only advise patients, but we cannot detain them.'
Their first possible H1N1 patient had insisted several times on returning home.
'She wanted to collect some personal things before going to the hospital, but I advised her against it,' said Dr Tan.
'I understand it is inconvenient for such patients, but by going home, she risked spreading the virus to other members of the public if she was really infected,' he added.
At present, the clinic has two months' supply of personal protective equipment like gowns, N95 masks and gloves.
The clinic also has 100 boxes of Tamiflu on standby in case it is activated by the Ministry of Health to treat patients.
Right now, it cannot prescribe Tamiflu.
Other precautionary measures are also in place.
One is to designate the area at the back of the clinic where the back exit is, for suspected patients with H1N1.
Since April, clinic staff have been wearing the N95 mask while on duty.
Dr Tan said he had also arranged for the cleaner to come in earlier in the morning to do the cleaning. He and his staff then come in after the cleaner leaves.
'We try to minimise contact where it is not necessary,' he explained.
The clinic assistants also use special alcohol to wipe the counter, door handles and door knobs more often throughout the day. And they use a disinfectant spray at the waiting area.
Every person who walks into the clinic has his or her temperature taken and has to fill up a declaration form of any travel history or contact with an infected person.
Patient Linda Kwan, 51, an editor, was at the clinic for a sprained wrist. She said she was comforted by the thought of having a clinic in the neighbourhood which is on the pandemic preparedness list.
'This way, those who may have caught the virus can have options other than to go to the polyclinics or hospitals which may be overburdened,' she said.
