Airport hostels can serve as quarantine areas

BESIDES the bed crunch in hospitals, the Ministry of Health now has to deal with another issue – a possible infectious disease outbreak (“Passenger hunt after measles case on SIA flight”; last Thursday).

Contact tracing of passengers on board the Singapore Airlines flight to Auckland, New Zealand, undoubtedly requires resources, time and effort.

When infectious diseases are not properly contained, they can cause a lot of disruption and put pressure on health-care workers, especially with our hospitals now facing a severe bed crunch.

Transit hostels can be built at the Changi Airport complex.

During a disease outbreak, the hostels can be used as holding areas to screen travellers entering Singapore.

When there is no outbreak, they can be used as affordably priced “transient hotels”.

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