Children's ICU Surge Capacity and Scale-up Rate at Singapore's Public Health Institutions

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health given overseas reports of some paediatric COVID-19 patients needing intensive care (a) how many public healthcare institutions (PHI) currently have children's ICUs and the business-as-usual operational children's ICU bed capacity; (b) what is our PHI children's ICU surge capacity and how quickly can it be scaled; and (c) how many doctors and nurses are trained in the provision of children's ICU care and have recent experience thereof.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and National University Hospital (NUH) are the two public healthcare institutions with paediatric ICU capacity and capability. For 2021, the paediatric ICU beds capacity in both hospitals was 32 beds.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, none of our local paediatric COVID-19 (C+) cases have required supplementary oxygen or ICU care. However, should the need arise, we are able to stand up an additional 20 paediatric ICU beds within a week.

Both hospitals currently have a total of 16 accredited paediatric intensivists, five Paediatric ICU Associate Consultants (PICU), and 163 PICU trained or experienced nurses.