Provision of Additional Guidance to Assist Doctors in Spotting Signs of Physical and Non-Physical Abuse in Foreign Domestic Workers

Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will be able to provide additional guidance to assist doctors in spotting signs of abuse in foreign domestic workers as not all signs of abuse are in visible areas or may be non-physical.

MOH sent out a circular in July to all registered doctors and licensees of medical clinics, outlining the type of domestic abuse cases they may encounter (not just for foreign domestic workers) and how they should manage and report suspect cases of abuse. The circular included guidelines on spotting signs of physical and non-physical abuse.

A joint MOM-MOH circular was also sent out in August to doctors and licensees on enhancements to MOM’s six-monthly medical examination (6ME) for foreign domestic workers, reminding them to check and document possible signs of abuse during the 6ME. The Singapore Medical Association (SMA) and College of Family Physicians Singapore (CFPS) have disseminated further guidelines on this circular to their members.