Debated in Parliament on 3 Jul 2023.
Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health (a) for each year in the past five years, how many foreign healthcare workers across the (i) medical, (ii) nursing and (iii) allied health fields have been granted Singapore permanent residency respectively; and (b) whether foreign healthcare workers who have stood by Singapore and Singaporeans during the COVID-19 pandemic can be granted Singapore permanent residency more expeditiously.
Our healthcare workforce comprises a sizeable majority of Singaporeans, and foreign manpower from many countries. They serve patients alongside one another and go through crises together. Foreign healthcare workers are an integral part of our healthcare system and, for those who become valued members of our healthcare community and demonstrate commitment to Singapore, we have been and are prepared to grant them Permanent Resident (PR) status.
Over the past five years, around 1,200 foreign healthcare workers were granted PR status on average each year. More than six in 10 are nurses, and the remainder include doctors, allied health professionals and other healthcare workers. In the past year, more nurses were granted PR status, in recognition of the essential role they played in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and in preparation to support Singapore's growing healthcare needs.
PAPERCUTS