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Tag: death

  • 22 Patients In SGH Renal Ward Infected With Hepatitis C, 4 Have Died

    22 Patients In SGH Renal Ward Infected With Hepatitis C, 4 Have Died

    The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has apologised for an outbreak of the hepatitis C virus in one of its renal wards, which has led to 22 patients being infected with the virus.

    Of the 22, four – who were also ill with other serious conditions – have since died.

    At a media briefing on Tuesday (Oct 6) afternoon, the hospital said it had noted an increased frequency of hepatitis C virus infections in early June in the ward.

    It prompted SGH to step up urgent checks for the virus in patients with abnormal liver function test results staying in the same ward.

    Investigations into the cause of the infections are ongoing, but initial investigations have indicated that the source could be attributed to “intravenous (IV) injectable agents”.

    Hepatitis C, which causes liver chronic cancer, is mainly transmitted through blood-to-blood contact associatated with IV drug use, poorly sterilised equipment and transfusions.

    SGH chief executive officer Ang Chong Lye said: “We would like to apologise unreservedly for the grief, pain and anguish this has caused our patients and their families.

    “Patient safety is non-negotiable. What happens to our patients is always our responsibility. We will spare no effort in reviewing our processes and examining all possible sources of infection to prevent recurrence.”

    Prof Ang added that SGH is in touch with the affected patient and their families, and will “continue to provide full support and the appropriate care in managing their condition”.

    All 22 patients were admitted and stayed in the newly-renovated Ward 67 between April and June this year. Ward 64A, the original renal ward, was under renovation.

    They were all suffering from some form of renal disease, with the majority having undergone renal transplants.

    Professor Fong Kok Yong, chairman of the SGH medical board, stressed that while there has been no conclusive evidence to what caused the infections, the hospital had taken “aggressive” steps to rectify any shortcomings detected during the ongoing investigations.

    The hospital’s renal care team, including doctors and nurses, have undergone hepatitis C screening. The screening will also be extended to other doctors who covered the ward during the affected period.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • 5 Year Old Boy Found Dead In Condominium At Farrer Road

    5 Year Old Boy Found Dead In Condominium At Farrer Road

    A five-year-old boy was found dead in a condominium unit on Farrer Road on Tuesday morning (Oct 6), after his father was found injured outside a neighbourhood police post.

    Police have classified the case as unnatural death.

    The case was uncovered after police officers at the Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Centre found an injured man outside the centre at 5.17am. The 42-year-old man, believed to be Caucasian, was sent to the hospital.

    After questioning the man, the police went to a D’Leedon condominium unit believed to be on the 32nd floor. There, they found the body of a five-year-old boy – the son of the man – lying motionless in the bedroom.

    The boy was pronounced dead by paramedics at 6.17am.

    His father is helping the police with their investigation.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • 60 Year old Indian National Is Second Dengue Death Victim This Year

    60 Year old Indian National Is Second Dengue Death Victim This Year

    A 60-year-old woman has died of dengue, said the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a joint press release on Sunday (Sep 27).

    The Indian national, who arrived in Singapore on Sep 17, was here to visit her son staying at Block 444, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. She was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Sep 23 and died on Sep 26.

    “Although it is unclear whether the patient had caught the infection here or in her home country, NEA has stepped up its inspections of the premises in the vicinity of Block 444 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10,” said the press release.

    There are only two other recent dengue cases in the area, one at Block 438 and another at Block 441, said NEA. So far, 11 counts of mosquito breeding has been detected, of which the majority were found in residential premises.

    “Vector control operations to kill adult mosquitoes and destroy any potential breeding habitats have been ongoing since the cluster was notified on Sep 15,” they added.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Decomposed Body Found Hanging On Tree Along Republic Avenue

    Decomposed Body Found Hanging On Tree Along Republic Avenue

    The decomposed body of a man in his 30s was found along Republic Avenue on Monday evening.

    A male jogger had discovered the body hanging high up from a tree as he passed through a forested area nearby and alerted the police, according to Lianhe Wanbao.

    The Chinese paper also reported that the body, which had turned black, was in an advanced state of decomposition and could not be identified.

    The man was said to have been dead for at least five or six days.

    Police said it received a call for assistance at 7.14pm.

    Officers were spotted entering the forested area with a ladder and electric saws – to cut down the tree – at around 8.30pm.

    They emerged nearly two hours later carrying the body.

    Investigations into the unnatural death are ongoing, police said.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • South Korea Reports Fourth Death From MERS

    South Korea Reports Fourth Death From MERS

    South Korea Friday reported its fourth death from an outbreak of the MERS virus that has infected dozens of people, seen hundreds of schools closed and caused thousands to cancel travel plans.

    The health ministry had also confirmed five new cases, Yonhap news agency reported, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in South Korea to 41, the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia.

    The latest fatality was a 76-year-old patient who died Thursday after testing positive for the virus on May 21, Yonhap said.

    That case comes shortly after the country’s third MERS death was confirmed Thursday, that of an 82-year-old man who was diagnosed after he died in hospital on Wednesday night.

    He was originally being treated for asthma and pneumonia but was placed under quarantine after other patients in his ward tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

    More than 900 schools, from kindergartens to colleges, have now shut their gates and the government’s MERS hotline took more than 3,000 calls on Wednesday as public fears have grown.

    Before Thursday only two people — a 58-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man — had died in South Korea from the disease, which has no cure or vaccine.

    The first case, reported on May 20, was of a 68-year-old man diagnosed after a trip to Saudi Arabia.

    Since then, more than 1,660 people who may have been exposed to the virus have been placed under varying levels of quarantine.

    While around 160 were isolated at state-designated facilities, most were told to stay home and strictly limit their interactions with other people.

    MERS has now infected more than 1,100 people globally, with 437 deaths. More than 20 countries have been affected, with most cases in Saudi Arabia.

    The virus is considered a deadlier but less infectious cousin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed hundreds of people when it appeared in Asia in 2003.

    The World Health Organization said it expected more infections in South Korea, but stressed that there was “no evidence of sustained transmission in the community”.

     

    Source: www.scmp.com