Crisis Communication During Bird Flu in Singapore, 2003

8/6/2019 Crisis Communication During Bird Flu in Singapore, 2003

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Bird Flu, Singapore 2003

Crisis Communications from Related

Stakeholders


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Table of Contents

ABSTRACT ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 3

1 INTRODUCTION................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 4

2 DIFFERENT ROLES AND RESPECTIVE CRISIS COMMUNICATION ............... 5

2.1 Role: Government Doctor of Singapore at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital .......... 52.1.1 Situation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5

2.1.2 Crisis Communication ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 5

2.2 Role: The Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh ................................ .... 72.2.1 Situation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 7

2.2.2 Crisis Communication ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 7

2.3 Role: The Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Lee Hsien Loong ....................... 82.3.1 Situation: ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 8

2.3.2 Crisis Communication: ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 9

2.4 Role: Representative at the Singapore Consulate in India ............................. 112.4.1 Situation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 11

2.4.2 Crisis Communication ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 11

2.5 Role: Business Man in a poultry farm ................................ ............................ 122.5.1 Situation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 12


2.6 Role: A Citizen of Singapore ................................................................ .......... 132.6.1 Situation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 13


3 CONCLUSION ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 14

4 REFERENCES ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 15

5 APPENDIX ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 16

5.1 Tourist arrivals (per cent change, through -the-year) ................................ ...... 16

5.2 Tourism as per cent of GDP ................................ ................................ .......... 16

5.3 Consensus GDP reduction forecasts after the outbreak of Bird Flu ............... 17

5.4 Cumulative number of SARS cases, deaths and recoveries .......................... 17


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Abstract

A fictitious situation of crises has been created in Singapore, wherein an outbreak of

Bird Flu is threatening to upset the social, economic and political situation. The scare

of this deadly disease and the ensuing panic has hit the tourism industry becaus e

other countries have issued a travel advisory against visiting Singapore in wake of

the outbreak of Bird Flu. As a result the economy has been affected adversely and

there exists a possibility of disruption of bilateral ties between other countries such

as India and Singapore. The daily lives of the people of Singapore have been

disrupted and they are getting increasingly restless with each passing moment,

waiting for the Government to address the issue. In this hypothetical moment of

crisis we will explore the situation from the standpoint of six different stakeholders

and how each of these stakeholders deals with his circumstances and initiates timely

and effective communication with his target audience thereby preventing a potential

catastrophe. The handling of this crisis from the point of view of effective

communication may be taken as a blueprint by an organization for referring to and

for looking up to, not only in its hour of crisis but also in advance preparation for a

foreseeable yet difficult situation.


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1 Introduction

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, more commonly known as Bird Flu is a deadly

epidemic disease that has sporadically appeared in south east countries during the

past few years and has triggered off panic in the financial, political and social circles

of the affected countries. After outbreaks in Indonesia, China, Hong Kong,

Bangladesh and Japan, it was now knocking on the doors of Singapore. This might

be signals of prospective danger for neighboring countries such as India that have

had active trade relations with Singapore. After the usual initial rounds of denials, the

presently tight lipped Singapore authorities may slowly have to come to terms with

the fact that the influenza cases that were currently being treated in the hospitals

may well be those of Bird Flu. Because of the diseases fatalistic potential and

because of the simultaneous outbreak in Japan that had a devastating effect on and

around those afflicted, alarm bells had gone off in the Singapore establishment and

the Government was monitoring the situation closely. Against this backdrop, the

government was also in a fix of sorts- whether to openly admit the spread of Bird Flu

in Singapore, and risk a drastic drop in tourists and revenue losses arising out of

decreased sales of pork, or keep the news under wraps until it actually threatened to

snowball into a widespread epidemic? What would be the ramifications of either

decision and how would it affect the key stakeholders of Singapore? This disease,

posed great risks at different levels for different countries and hence each country

might have its own perception of the situation. Also, there would be a differing

degree of perceived risk for different countries. We try to see this problem, from

different angles keeping six different stakeholders from both Singapore & India in

mind. There has to be a formal communication plan in place in times of crises such

as this, which must be executed in a deft manner for effective damage control at the


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very least and perhaps even enhance the credibility of the concerned authorities if

executed impeccably. In our plan we have taken up and would be examining this

crisis from the point of view of six affected parties- the Prime Minister of Singapore,

the Prime Minister of India, the citizens of Singapore, Representative at Singapore

Consulate in India, a Singaporean Businessman and the Government doctors of

Singapore. Here, we try and evaluate the key aspects of crisis communication that

each stakeholders must deal with in order to address the situations each one was

facing, thereby coming up with an ideal plan to try and eschew foreseeable damages

and minimize unforeseeable ones.

2 Different Roles and Respective Crisis Communication

2.1 Role:Government Doctor of Singapore at the Tan Tock SengHospital

2.1.1 Situation

The first few cases of the Bird Flu had been confirmed in Singapore and till then no

vaccine had been found. The doctor addressed the media about the possible threats,

how it was being controlled and what precautions one must take in order to be safe.

2.1.2 Crisis Communication

The Government doctor noted that Flu Pandemics were natural events that occurred

from time to time. Bird Flu is caused by H5N1 influenza virus. This disease normally

occurs due to exposure or direct contact with the infected poultry. The d octor further

stated that there was no evidence that it is caused by eating properly cooked eggs.

In fact, consuming properly cooked eggs killed the virus that spread bird flu. The

disease was contagious and spread quickly. Recently, there was an outbreak of Bird

flu in Singapore and the doctor felt that a few precautions needed to be taken.


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Anyone suffering from influenza was required to undertake diagnostic tests for the

bird flu. Also, knowing typical symptoms of bird flu might help to identify the disea se

at an early stage. The doctor went on to throw light on the typical symptoms of the

disease which were high fever, sore throat headaches, running nose,

breathlessness, aching muscles, frequent vomiting, watery eyes, fatigue and loss of

appetite. People who were most vulnerable were the ones whose immune system

wasnt as strong as others. Besides, other people who were more vulnerable were

people who suffered from various other diseases such as heart disease, lung

disease, kidney disease, pregnant women, people who aged over 65.

A single drug that could cure this disease was yet to be found. However, the doctor

said that some antiviral drugs like Zanamivir and Rimantadine could be used as a

form of primary treatment to slow down the adverse effects of this virus. The doctor

felt that there was no reason to panic in case the above symptoms were detected; all

one was required to do was to visit/call Tan Tock Seng Hospital and depending on

the extent to which the virus had spread, the victim had to be to quarantined or

given antibiotic treatment.

The doctors recommendations to avoid the spread of this disease were :

y Cleaning cutting boards with hot water in order to ensure that poultry was not

contaminated

y Before consuming any poultry ensuring that it was cooked for at least 165

degree Fahrenheit

y Eggs were to be cooked till the yoke was firm

y Before and after handling poultry one must ensure that ones hands were

washed with warm water.

y While sneezing ones mouth must be covered.


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y In case one was suffering from the above symptoms, one must avoid crowded

places

The doctor was aware of the concerns of the general public about the unavailability

of the drug, however, he appealed to the public to have patience and trust in him and

his department. Doctors and pharmacists were working day and night, across the

globe to solve this issue; they communicated to all that they were sure that all

prayers would be answered soon.

Such controlled optimism on the part of a qualified specialist is often necessary in

order to keep a check on mass hysteria. Making such announcements to the media

keeps them baying for the authorities blood. Besides calming frayed nerves, it also

provides affected and afflicted parties with much needed insight into ways to cope up

with the situation at hand.

2.2 Role: The Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

2.2.1 Situation

In a telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsein

Loong, the Prime Minister of India, Dr.Manmohan Singh expressed his concerns

about the implications of the bird flu and made suggestions for managing this crisis.


The following is the message conveyed by the Indian Prime Minister to his

Singaporean counterpart-

Dr. Manmohan Singh: My office has apprised me of the media reports of the spread

of Bird Flu currently doing the rounds in Singapore and of the rumors about the state

of alarm that the diplomatic circles of Singapore are currently in. I am curious about

the extent of truth in these worrisome albeit unconfirmed reports. In case Bird Flu


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has indeed broken out, I suggest that this critical piece of news be made freely

available to all media channels and World Health Organization without further delay.

As a leader and representative of the people of India, I am concerned about the we ll-

being and safety of all Indian citizens. Thus it is directly incumbent upon my foreign

affairs ministry to issue a relevant travel advisory relating to your country on the

basis of how safe chicken is for consumption in Singapore. Any undue delay on you r

offices part in notifying my office about the spread of the disease would lead to a

dent in the credibility of my Government and will certainly cause an uproar in the

Parliament by the opposition party. I therefore strongly urge you once again to

clearly state facts as they are and prevent any further miscommunication. Also, apart

from declaring this disease as an epidemic in your country, you are requested to

keep us updated as to what steps your Government would be taking not only to stop

the disease from spreading any more but also to treat people already afflicted with

the disease. At the same time, as a country that is a friend of Singapore, we offer

any medical, monetary or political help that your country may require at this stage.

You have the required resources at your disposal; kindly deal with this urgent and

pressing situation efficiently and effectively.

Clearly, any effort to cover up this epidemic would have been taken a serious view of

by the Government of India and may have caused the rel ationship of the two

countries to turn sour.

2.3 Role: The Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Lee Hsien Loong2.3.1 Situation:

As a reply to, Dr. Manmohan Singhs concerns, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong communicated

the measures by the Government of Singapore to ensure the cit izens safety and to

minimize the losses to the economy due to this natural calamity.


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2.3.2 Crisis Communication:

The following is an excerpt from Mr.Lee Hsien Loongs reply to Dr. Manmohan

Singhs concerns-

Mr.Lee Hsien Loong: I understand that there is a grow ing fear in Asia related to the

ongoing Bird Flu. We have been screening passengers at the Changi Airport and

have deputed Government Doctors from Tan Tock Seng Hospital to hold tests and

administer related treatment and quarantine afflicted passengers ent ering into

Singapore. However, owing to the fact, that warnings about this disease were raised

much later by the WHO, than when the disease had actually spread, we do agree

that we might be at risk. We have been testing all the poultry farms here in

Singapore and have also been taking each case of influenza with great seriousness.

Till now we have not identified many cases but we do admit to have detected the first

case of an infected person. Whilst acknowledging this, we are not oblivious to the

fact that the disease might have spread and might lead to a contagious pandemic.

As a neighboring economy and a country with which we have quiet frequent

economic transactions, we expect co-operation from your side. We would require

your help in identification of infected passengers entering into India from Singapore.

Putting a ban on the flights from Singapore to India might become a serious problem

for the economic activities going on between the two countries. However, the risk

that the spread of this disease represents cannot be neglected. So, we propose that

anyone who is infected not be allowed to travel and be kept in isolation in an Indian

Government Hospital. For this, our Government Doctors would be ready to work in

close co-operation with doctors from India. Also, we can allow immediate visa

facilities for the family members of such patients who wish to be with their loved ones

in this hour of need.


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On the economic front, I think the exchange of organic products & meat, chicken,

fish, etc. must be stopped with an immediate effect as we do not know how serious

the disease is among these poultry products.

On the social front, we need to focus on how to effectively communicate this

information inside our country. The media would play an instrumental role in creating

this awareness. At the same time, the media should be focused on controlling the

social implications due to the spread of this disease. They should communicate a

positive message, and help people in recognizing that the government is putting forth

all possible efforts. However, like everyone else, it is restricted by its inability to come

up with a vaccine in such a short duration of time. The media must help the

governments in making an appeal to the general public to co -operate in every way

they can so that the fight with this disease can be won.

We also intend to launch a campaign across the entire South East Asia for the

awareness of this disease, how to prevent it from spreading and what the immediate

measures can be that can be taken if anyone seems to possess the relevant

symptoms. We would like India to join this initiative and help us create this

awareness. I believe, today when we are facing this crisis, not just all of Asia, but the

whole world should unite in its efforts to combat this fa tal disease.

The Prime Minister of Singapore, thus, displayed honestly and accountability in

acknowledging the presence of a crisis and effectively communicated to his Indian

counterpart, the steps and he and his Government would be taking to ameliorate t he

situation. Through this frank and sincere instance of crisis communication, the Prime

Minister laid to rest all concerns of an important neighboring country and effectively

salvaged the political situation through effective crisis communication.


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2.4 Role: Representative at the Singapore Consulate in India

2.4.1 Situation

A representative of the Singapore Consulate addressed the Indian media; several

recommendations were made by him to avoid spread of bird flu and related issues

were addressed.


As increasing bird flu outbreaks were being reported across the world, the

representative at the Consulate of Singapore conveyed Singapores concerns about

the spread of this disease in Southeast Asia to the Indian media. He said that

Singapore was stepping up efforts to keep the H5N1 virus out of the door but traces

of it were still been found in different parts of the city. The first few cases of the Bird

Flu had been confirmed in Singapore. The reasons cited for this were that infected

international travelers from other afflicted countries were visiting Singapore.

Unfortunately, this disease is fatal and till now no vaccine had been found to cure it

completely. While the situation was under control and with the number of cases

reported being low, the government was doing everything possible to stop it from

becoming a national pandemic.

The bird flu had also affected the export/import of goods, food and beverages and

the airline industry majorly. The export of goods such as food and beverages

showed a sharp decline over the past month due to this flu. The reduction in number

of international travelers further dampened the airline industry as they were scared of

the disease. Irrespective of this economic loss, it was highly recommended by the

representative that these precautions be continued until such time as the scare of

the spread of this disease subsided.


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On behalf of the consulate of Singapore, it was recommended by the representative

that people avoid travelling to the infected countries for a f ew weeks. It was also

recommended that the people currently travelling be checked thoroughly at the

airport before allowing them to enter the country. Further the representative wish to

be kept updated in case any cases of the disease were reported in Indi a.

2.5 Role: Business Man in a poultry farm

2.5.1 SituationExport in poultry business had come to a standstill with the immediate ban imposed

by the government. The poultry farm owner had to convince his suppliers to increase

his credit duration owing to the crisi s failing which he would go bankrupt. He met with

his suppliers and in a frank discussion, he made a request for an extension of credit

facility.


The businessman lamented to the world at large that Bird flu had not only taken a toll

on the lives of people by infecting them directly but also had an indirect impact on

others. He informed his suppliers that many businesses had been affected because

of export bans imposed to avoid the spread of this disease.

He further said that with an immediate ban on poultry exports, cash flows of his

business had been directly affected; and this is in spite of the fact that none of his

poultry had been infected. He had been trying to get a government subsidy or get

some tax rebates to minimize his losses. But these procedures might have taken

time. In the above scenario, he was not in a position to immediately pay his debts

that he owed his suppliers. However, based on his reputation, his past record and


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taking into account this unexpected calamity, he requested all his suppliers to extend

the credit facility to three more months.

The businessman further said that it was expected that the ban would be lifted within

a month and thereafter getting the demand back on track could be expected within

another two months. Meanwhile, his efforts to obtain government grants and

subsidies would continue till they bore fruit.

During such a crisis, the businessman through his communication, made his case

clear, mollified his suppliers, asked them for some time and asked also asked them

to let him know what they thought about his case(and thus ensuring the suppliers

participation too).

2.6 Role: A Citizen of Singapore

2.6.1 Situation

Bird Flu was spreading rapidly in Singapore and it was suspected initially that the

government was unable to control it. Against this backdrop the common man is

bound to run out of patience and express his angst sooner than later.


An excerpt from the lamentations of a distressed citizen of Singapore -

Citizen: What is the government here for and what are they doing? Dont they know

that the most important thing that has to be done to deal with an epidemic is to have

a well prepared local health care system? Shouldnt the government be prepared in

ways that are sustainable and remains useful even if the epidemic does not occur?

Wasnt President Obamas warning followed by reports from UN that a bird flu

pandemic could kill 150 million people worldwide not enough to raise the alarm bell

for Singapore government? One of the most dramatic statistics about the Bird Flu is

its death rate. So far 7 % of all the people infected have died. When there was an


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imminent possibility of massive deaths and overwhelming global disruption what was

the government busy with? And the government is planning to develop a vaccine

only now. It would take a minimum of two to three months to develop, or even more.

Thereafter, manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine might create another

logistics issue. Even the antivirals developed by various countries are not 100 %

effective. And the ones that slow it down even by a bit cant be produced in the

doses required for helping the 7 billion people on earth.

Such anguish of a citizen of Singapore should be construed as a precursor of

widespread public outrage in case of poor communication in times of crises such as

this. Authorities in charge must take a cue from such an outburst, take it as

constructive criticism and make plans to put in place immediate damage control

measures before the anger spreads like wildfire.

3 Conclusion

As shown above, all the six stakeholders are impacted at different levels due to the

same crisis. How each one of them is affected, an d what course of action the

stakeholder takes, is dependent upon the severity of the impact and the perception

he holds about the crisis. What is common to all the six stakeholders is that they

have to deal with their issues by efficiently communicating the crisis to their own

stakeholders. They are required to understand the political and cultural factors of the

geography their stakeholders come from. Even if the crisis might be having a

considerable negative impact, the stakeholders can minimize the effec ts of crisis by

efficient yet honest communication. This is, in fact, precisely how an organization

should communicate effectively to its stakeholders and to the world at large, during a

crisis situation. Timely and honest acknowledgement of a crisis, comm unicating the


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measures taken to tackle it and the future course of action form an integral part of an

effective crisis communication. The above case can be taken as an example of

effective communication during times of crises and organizations can refer to it as a

blueprint to prevent or minimize any damage done.

4 References

http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/677/HTML/docshell.asp?URL=economicimpact_sars.asp


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5. P ti f t ft t t f Bi l

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Documents

Crisis Communication During Bird Flu in Singapore, 2003