I READ with alarm the Ministry of Health's (MOH) statement to the press in yesterday's papers.

The MOH said that there was no need to be alarmed by the two-minute train ride from Serangoon to Kovan on the North East Line taken by the 12th H1N1 patient in Singapore, as his exposure to others was limited.

How can a ride in any form of public transport not expose one to many people when all public buses and trains are packed, even during off-peak hours?

If contact tracing is not possible in such cases, then that should be made clear.

If the statement released had instead mentioned the time during which the patient was in the train, at least those who were travelling between the two stations and remembered their travel time could monitor their condition and seek immediate medical attention, should they come down with fever or flu symptoms.

Having said that, the various ministries should work together to minimise the chances of contagious diseases spreading among public-transport users by increasing the frequency of trains and buses.

Doing so would help alleviate the problem of overcrowding on public transport.

Mr Raymund Koh Joo Guan

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