11 April 2020 – The global pandemic of COVID-19 has been a major concern to the public since the first confirmed case was reported in Brunei Darussalam on 9th March 2020. With this outbreak, numerous precautionary measures have been implemented by the Ministry of Health, such as the temporary closure of mosques, schools and fitness centres, cessation of dine-in at eateries, avoidance of mass gathering, etc. We have all been called upon to practice social distancing in an effort to control the outbreak and to prevent contracting the disease.

There is good evidence that certain members of our community may be at higher risk of contracting severe disease; these include the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Pregnant women and children are also vulnerable groups. In light of this, it is important that the three (3) healthcare institutions namely the Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC), Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) and Gleneagles JPMC (GJPMC) caring for these different vulnerable groups of patients, take necessary steps to ensure that our patients, their relatives, and our staff, are safe.

Everyone has the right to a healthy and safe environment that will ensure their well-being. As we continue to navigate the best ways to contain the spread of COVID-19, we understand that these changes are difficult and we appreciate your patience and understanding. Thus, we would like to announce changes in our day-to-day operations that are being made at this time to safeguard our patients, their relatives and our employees.
The three (3) separate entities in the Jerudong health complex, namely, Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC), Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) and Gleneagles JPMC (GJPMC), have implemented precautionary measures as per the Ministry of Health’s advice as follows:

· All premises within the health complex are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis.

· All visitors will be screened prior to entering the health complex. Any visitors who are feeling unwell or are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough and flu are advised not to enter any of the hospitals in order to prevent disease spread.

· Limiting the number of visitors to the premises (such as clinics, wards, pharmacy, rehabilitation department for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and/or speech therapy services or other patient areas) to only one (1) companion for each patient. In the event that more than one (1) companion accompanies the patient, he or she will be asked to wait outside of the premises.

· During in-patient visiting hours, only one (1) visitor per patient will be allowed at any one time and for a duration of thirty (30) minutes only. In addition, children below twelve (12) years old are not allowed to visit in-patients.

· Temporarily suspending non-urgent surgeries, health screening packages and promotions to reduce the number of people in Outpatient Clinics and in the health complex. Only urgent and emergency surgeries and procedures, and cancer surgeries will be performed until further notice.

· In order to avoid overcrowding and close physical contact, staggered seating has been arranged for seating spaces and in the shuttle buses. Depending on the size of the available space, we have also limited the number of people utilizing the suraus and our lifts to a maximum of four (4) or five (5) persons at any one time. The avoidance of handshaking is also advised.

We would like to reiterate that these restrictions are being put in place to protect our patients, visitors and employees. We understand the important roles that family members and visitors play in a patient’s healing process and we aim to balance the needs of our patients with maintaining a safe environment for all. With that, we humbly ask for your understanding and cooperation in combating this disease.

Thank you.

From the Management of :

Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC)

Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC)

Gleneagles JPMC (GJPMC)