Assistance Available to Charities Running Shelters or Homes in Their Implementation of COVID-19-related Safe Management Measures in Premises

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development what are the assistance available to charities, particularly those running shelters or homes for beneficiaries, to defray or subsidise their operational costs for COVID-19 related measures like deep cleaning of premises, purchase and supply of ART kits, refurbishment of premises to provide for isolation rooms, or the implementation of safe management measures in the premises.

MSF and Social Service Agencies (SSAs) running Homes/Shelters under MSF’s purview have been working closely together during this pandemic. We have strengthened infection prevention and control practices, refined Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), conducted audits on Safe Management Measures (SMMs), deployed mobile vaccination teams to vaccinate residents who are elderly and more vulnerable and the staff caring for them, and worked with the Homes/Shelters to manage COVID-19 outbreaks when they occur.

MSF has provided additional funding to the Homes/Shelters under its purview to help defray the additional costs incurred due to the required measures. As we stepped up SMMs between 2020 and 2021, we provided ad hoc funding for Homes/Shelters to hire additional manpower to implement the SMMs and also raised funding rates for these Homes/Shelters on an ongoing basis.

MSF worked MOH and HPB to arrange for mobile vaccination teams to do vaccinations on site for the Homes/Shelters at no cost to them, and has been supplying Homes/Shelters with Government-funded Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits.

MSF, with MOH’s support, also funds Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing that are carried out in respective premises when COVID-19 infection is detected. In addition, MSF has deployed contractors to conduct deep cleaning of the Homes’/Shelters’ premises when outbreaks occurred and the Homes’/Shelters’ own contracted cleaners would only have been able to come in at a later time, so as to provide better and timelier assurance to the staff and residents.

In addition to Government support, the Homes/Shelters can tap on community support provided to the social service sector. In February 2020, the ComChest Emergency Fund provided $3,000 to each National Council of Social Service (NCSS) member agency to help them strengthen their business continuity measures, purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and carry out cleaning and disinfection of premises.

In April 2020, NCSS set up The Invictus Fund (TIF), which amongst other things, funds SSAs up to $100,000 per agency to defray the cost of implementing BCP, safe management system and ART kits.

MSF has also helped to facilitate donations-in-kind from the community to the Homes/Shelters. Some of donated items include PPE, masks and gloves which helped to offset the Homes’/Shelters’ expenses on these essential items.

MSF will continue to work closely with Homes/Shelters to serve their residents as best as we can, in our collective fight against COVID-19.