Singapore must get prepared for MERS: PM

It is "just a matter of time" before the first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is detected in Singapore, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday.

"For us it's a matter of time, and for us, I wanted to be quite sure that our medical facilities, our medical staff, the hospitals, the whole team are ready and they know how to deal with it. They don't fumble and we can contain it, and then put a stop to the disease in Singapore as quickly as we can," said the prime minister in a visit to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

TTSH has been designated by Singapore's Health Ministry to be the isolation center for suspected and confirmed MERS patients once the virus was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Lee added the public also needs to know how to respond. If one has traveled and feels unwell, or displays flu symptoms, these individuals should take it seriously and visit the hospital.

If there were to be MERS cases in the country, Singaporeans should not get into a panic, but know that the country is prepared and what can be done, Lee said.

TTSH said the hospital has prepared to handle global pandemic threats, along with dedicated facilities.

Singapore has also started temperature screening at air checkpoints for travelers arriving from South Korea since Tuesday.

No case of MERS cases has been reported in Singapore up to now. But the country's Health Ministry has previously said the possibility of an imported case cannot be ruled out given today's globalized travel patterns. Endi