SINGAPORE: To avoid going to clinics or hospitals where large numbers of sick people gather, more are opting for mobile clinic services as the H1N1 flu virus spreads in the community.

One mobile clinic said on Saturday it currently sees close to 20 patients a day, up from 12 or 13 patients previously.

It has also seen an 80 per cent increase in the number of patients with chronic conditions.

Said Dr Madeleine Chew, founder of MW Medical: "For the past one month, things have been relatively comfortable until about a week ago, when the local transmissions went up. Then there was increase in demand for home care services.

"People do call us because they don't want their loved ones to go to the hospital, or they don't want to go to the clinics. This could be the younger population like for childhood vaccination or for the elderly people who are sick."

- CNA/yb