SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic helper who was feeling unwell took to social media asking if she should work through her illness or see a doctor. Her concern seemed to be more about who would be paying the bill.
In an anonymous post to a support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, the woman asked other netizens for advice. She said that her employer is aware that she was ill and let her rest the day before. In the morning her fever broke, but she added that at night she was feeling rather poorly. “night time I have fever and chill again including lower left back pain that I cant even walk properly”, the helper wrote.
She wanted to know if she saw a doctor, who would pay the bill. She also asked netizens if she should just try to ignore her symptoms and continue working in the hope that her pain would subside. “if I ask them to see doctor are they paying the bill or should I ignore it and just work maybe it will gone pain (sic) soon”, the helper wrote.
Netizens in the comments section unanimously urged her to see a doctor and to pass the bill to her employers. One netizen said: “As for me, everytime I’m sick and need to go to the doctor, my employer always gives me money to pay for the doctor and medications. My employer said that it is their obligation”. Another wrote: “We as employers are responsible for your health, so we pay. And also it’s better to be safe then sorry. Go to the doctor. Also your employer wants you to be fit for job, no use in working while being ill”.
Earlier this month, an employer took to social media asking for advice after finding out that her new helper was ill. In an anonymous post to a support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, the woman said that her 30-year-old helper had only been working for her for a week, and she was a direct hire.
The woman added that her maid was good and a fast learner, but said that she noticed the helper was quiet and very slow when she walked. Sometimes when she spoke to her helper, the employer said that there was no response from the maid which she just brushed off thinking that the helper was homesick. “but to my horror today when I brought her for her medical she had very low BP and also the doctor suspected her of being anaemic”, the woman wrote.
When the doctor tried to draw blood from the maid, he had some difficulties and asked her employer to send the helper for more tests to check if her helper was anaemic.
Her employer was worried because her helper was a strict vegetarian and “she refuse(d) to eat”. The woman also said that she was “not rich just middle class employer I can’t afford her medical bill if she dt eat and faint what am gonna do?”
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