Singapore — The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has introduced a new primary care plan for migrant workers, ensuring that their healthcare services are kept affordable.
In a press release on Monday (Nov 29), MOM said it had appointed four Anchor Operators (AOs) to deliver a new primary healthcare system for migrant workers.
MOM will also be introducing a new primary care plan (PCP) in the form of a healthcare financing scheme for employers and migrant workers.
The two measures will be implemented in 2022, providing migrant workers with “quality, affordable and accessible healthcare catered to their needs,” said MOM.
Migrant workers will be enrolled with an AO automatically based on the geographical sector of their residence, allowing them to seek care conveniently.
Primary Care Plan
Under the PCP, medical consultations and treatments, medical examination for work pass purposes, and telemedicine services will be covered.
The PCP prices range from S$108 to S$145 per worker per year based on the competitive bids submitted for MOM’s Request for Proposal.
Employers can pay the amount in regular instalments, such as on a monthly basis.
“To encourage prudent use of medical resources and instil personal ownership of their own health, migrant workers will pay the AOs a medical treatment fee of $5 for each visit to the medical centre, and $2 for each telemedicine session,” said MOM.
The following infographic shows the medical centre locations and the six geographical sectors.
Under the new primary healthcare system, Singapore will be divided into six geographical sectors governed by an AO.
MOM has appointed three medical service providers, Fullerton Healthcare Group Pte Ltd, SATA CommHealth and StarMed Specialist Centre Pte Ltd, as AOs for five sectors, while non-governmental organisation (NGO) St Andrew’s Mission Hospital will handle the last sector.
“The mix of operators will enable MOM to assess the benefits and strengths that different commercial and NGO operators bring,” MOM noted.
The agency highlighted that all four AOs are experienced in caring for migrant workers.
They will provide primary healthcare services at medical centres complemented with 24/7 telemedicine services.
The AOs will also establish mobile clinical teams to respond rapidly to public health concerns at foreign worker dormitories.
“To minimise language and cultural barriers, they will put in place IT-enabled multilingual translation capabilities and augment the clinical team with healthcare workers who can speak the native languages of our migrant workers,” said MOM.
/TISG
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