title: Hiding in the bunker: Challenges for a radiation oncology department operating in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak.
abstract: In February 2003, one woman returned from Hong Kong to Singapore with a previously undescribed atypical pneumonia. Two months later, Singapore is facing its greatest ever threat to its population's health and the country's economy. The government has taken strong action to break the chain of infection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). As a radiation oncology department in Singapore, we have faced challenges in keeping staff and patients safe while continuing to provide a service to our patients. In this article, we outline the measures taken to curb SARS in Singapore and discuss the implications for Australasian radiation oncology departments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The Cancer Institute, National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. rahulkm@nuh.com.sg
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Shakespeare
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wynne
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D016358:Contact Tracing; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology