Dear members, please take note of the following if intending to travel back to Singapore this holidays.

MOH’s Travel Advisory

In a pandemic outbreak, when the H1N1 virus is all over the world, and may last for a long time, specific travel advisory may become increasingly impractical. We encourage Singaporeans to keep themselves abreast of developments of the country they are planning to visit, and take note of the total number of cases reported, number of deaths and export cases from these countries.

Travellers who have been to countries that have been considered by WHO to have sustained community transmission or to be in transition towards community transmission, as well as countries that have been reported to have exported cases (ie. Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America) should immediately call 993 for medical assistance if they feel unwell within seven days of arrival. If you are feeling unwell, they should avoid travelling and should not engage in extensive community activities such as working, shopping and participating in mass activities.

If travel to these areas is unavoidable, we encourage travellers to take the following precautionary measures:

• Pay attention to announcements from the local government.
• Follow local public health guidelines, including any movement restrictions and prevention recommendations.
• Avoid crowded areas and contact with anyone who appears unwell.
• Maintain high standards of personal hygiene at all times.
- Wash hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water, especially before touching the eyes, nose or mouth.
- Turn quickly away from anyone near if they are about to cough or sneeze.
- Cover the nose and mouth with a piece of tissue when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of the tissue paper properly in the dust bin after use.

After your return to Singapore from countries with sustained community transmission

Pay close attention to your health for 7 days, watching out for symptoms
such as :

• High fever (> 38 deg C)
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Body aches
• Runny nose
• Headaches
• Tiredness

If you have any such symptoms, you should call 993 promptly for an ambulance. You should avoid taking public transport or taxi to minimise exposure. To help in contact tracing, the public may find it helpful to keep records of their movements for 7 days (for example by keeping taxi receipts) after their return.

Source: Ministry of Health, www.moh.gov.sg

Dear SMSV members,

SMSV is looking for members who are interested in being part of a medical humanitarian trip to Vellore, India this December.

Brief details are as follows:

Date of trip (tentative): 14 December – 16 December

Possible post trip touring (details to be discussed with participants of the trip when selected)

Destination: Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

Objectives:

1. Assist Singaporean medical team in local hospitals
2. Assist in the running of a free clinic for surrounding villages
3. Raise funds to purchase sterile delivery kits to be donated to local hospitals

People involved:

* 15 Medical Students (that’s us)
* Plastic Surgeons, Gynecologists, Ear Nose and Throat Specialists an Nurses from Singapore (composition of team not finalised)

Estimated personal cost: should not exceed SGD $900

This would be the inaugural trip undertaken to Vellore and would set groundwork for a series of 7-8 trips to be undertaken within the next 5 years. There may also be opportunities for epidemiological research projects to be initiated during the trip.

As we are also aiming to raise funds, participants would also be expected to help out with the fund raising prior to the trip in Melbourne.

To express your interest, please send the following to zhixuan.quak@smsv.sg

* Your full name
* University, course and year of study
* Nationality
* NRIC/Passport number
* Contact details – mobile (both Australian and Singapore), email, home phone (if available)
* A short personal statement (100 words), including your personal attributes and why you are interested in participating in this trip

All SMSV members are eligible to apply. Application is only open to SMSV members. Places are limited and a team has to be formed within the next 2 months (at the very latest), so please send in your applications early. Dead line for applying is 22 June 2009. Applicants will be notified whether they are successful.

For more information, queries or feedback, please refer to http://forums.smsv.sg/