Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

1 Nov 2021

Allowing Entry to Fully Vaccinated Workers from ASEAN Countries to Mitigate Labour Crunch in Construction and Renovation Industries

Ang Wei Neng asked if Singapore would allow fully vaccinated workers from ASEAN countries, excluding domestic helpers, to enter and help alleviate the labour shortage in the construction and renovation sectors.
Tan See Leng responded that travel restrictions have been eased and approvals for migrant workers in construction, marine shipyard, and process sectors resumed from 1 November 2021.
He added that all work pass holders must be fully vaccinated when entering Singapore from 1 November 2021 unless exempted, ensuring a safe and calibrated approach.

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1 Nov 2021

Ongoing Efforts on Engaging Elderly and Youths to Mitigate Stress and Loneliness from COVID-19 Safety Measures

The government is engaging youths through digital platforms like Youthopia, partnering with organisations to provide mental well-being resources, dialogues, and online community events to maintain social connections.
For seniors, activities have been pivoted online, befriending services conduct home visits and calls, and volunteer centres run community programmes to reduce isolation while supporting mental wellness.
MOE is keeping schools open, resuming co-curricular activities when safe, and integrating mental health education and teacher check-ins to support students’ well-being.
The Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being is developing a national strategy to strengthen support for youths and seniors beyond COVID-19, while encouraging community-wide efforts through volunteerism and kindness.

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1 Nov 2021

Doctors Administering Repurposed Drugs to COVID-19 Patients on Off-Label Basis

Leong Mun Wai asked whether doctors are permitted to use repurposed drugs on an off-label basis for COVID-19 patients or suspected cases.
Ong Ye Kung referred to a prior response on this matter from an earlier parliamentary session on 1 November 2021.
The prior response concerned steps to curb misinformation about COVID-19 treatments, including off-label drug use.

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1 Nov 2021

Plans for Differentiated Treatment for Vaccinated Persons Declining Booster Dose

Mr. Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked whether vaccinated persons who decline a booster dose would receive differentiated treatment and when they would be considered to have the same risk profile as the unvaccinated due to waning immunity.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that this issue had already been addressed in his earlier reply to Questions Nos 77 to 85 from 1 November 2021.
The minister referenced an official report on updated COVID-19 protocols, vaccination for children, and government response delays as the source of the prior response.
No new policy or timeframe was provided in this exchange, deferring to the existing answer from November 2021.

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1 Nov 2021

Statistics on Number of COVID-19 Fatalities and Place of Demise

Dennis Tan Lip Fong requested statistics from the Minister for Health on the number of COVID-19 fatalities who died in hospitals, at home, or in care facilities.
Ong Ye Kung responded that the question was already addressed in a written answer via a ministerial statement delivered by the Senior Minister of State for Health on 1 November 2021.
The referenced statement provided an update on ICU and hospital capacity, which included the relevant fatality data.

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1 Nov 2021

Preventive Actions against Chat Groups Spreading Anti-Vaccination Misinformation on Medicines Like Ivermectin

Dr Shahira Abdullah questioned if the Health Ministry would enforce actions against chat groups spreading anti-vaccination misinformation about medicines such as Ivermectin.
Minister Ong Ye Kung referenced a prior reply on steps to curb misinformation via social media and closed messaging systems about COVID-19 treatments, indicating existing measures address the issue.
The debate highlights concerns about enforcement against misinformation in private chat groups and relies on previously documented government strategies to mitigate such spread.

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1 Nov 2021

COVID-19 Positive Cases Classified by Housing Type

Dr. Tan Wu Meng inquired about the number and proportion of COVID-19 positive cases broken down by housing type since the start of the pandemic.
The Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, responded by directing attention to a table providing the number and proportion of community cases and residents by housing type.
The debate centered on obtaining specific data on case distribution across different housing categories to understand pandemic impact.
The response indicated that detailed statistics are available in a tabular format for reference.

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1 Nov 2021

Types of COVID-19 Vaccinations Received by Doctors and Other Healthcare Professionals

Joan Pereira asked about the percentage of doctors and healthcare professionals vaccinated with mRNA and non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, and how the Ministry ensures frontliners are vaccinated for their safety.
Ong Ye Kung reported that as of 22 October 2021, approximately 99% of all staff in public healthcare institutions were fully vaccinated with either mRNA or non-mRNA vaccines.
About 99% of doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists were vaccinated, while other healthcare staff had a vaccination rate of about 98%.
Vaccination was prioritized for healthcare workers when mRNA vaccines were first available, and booster shots were extended to them after seniors.
The Ministry's efforts include prioritizing and extending vaccinations and boosters to ensure the safety of frontline healthcare workers encountering COVID-19 patients.

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1 Nov 2021

Managing Confidentiality of COVID-19 Patients' Identifying Particulars

Sylvia Lim inquired whether COVID-19 patients’ identifying particulars are confidential under the Infectious Diseases Act or other laws and how such confidentiality is managed.
Ong Ye Kung stated that patients’ personal data is treated as sensitive and protected under the Public Sector (Governance) Act, the Infectious Diseases Act, and the Personal Data Protection Act, with disclosure allowed only on limited grounds such as preventing disease spread.
Non-government entities receiving such data must comply with the Infectious Diseases Act, PDPA, and government contract safeguards, while anonymised data may be disclosed without breaching confidentiality.
Legal safeguards across the PSGA, IDA, and PDPA make it an offence to re-identify anonymised information, adding a further layer of protection for patient confidentiality.

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1 Nov 2021

Moves to Prevent Unapproved Antigen Rapid Test Kits from Being Sold to Public

Ms Ng Ling Ling questioned how SG Diagnostics Antigen Rapid Test kits meant for professional use became available to the public, how many were sold before recall, and how processes can be tightened.
The Health Sciences Authority is investigating the unauthorised distribution, with enforcement action to be taken, and about 1.8 million kits were sold from January to September 2021, though sales to the public alone are unclear.
HSA has required SG Diagnostics to issue multilingual advertisements stating the kits are not licensed for consumer use and to recall them, while also publishing and promoting a list of authorised self-test kits and increasing market surveillance.

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1 Nov 2021

Data on Severity of Illness Experienced by COVID-19 Vaccinated Patients and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Vaccines for Booster Jabs

The Minister for Health provided data showing that vaccinated individuals in Singapore had significantly lower mortality and severe disease rates compared to the unvaccinated, with mRNA vaccines showing about 90% protection against severe disease and halving transmission risk.
Non-mRNA vaccines like Sinovac-CoronaVac have lower uptake and data is limited, but international studies indicate slightly lower effectiveness against symptomatic infection and similar safety profiles to mRNA vaccines.
The Minister confirmed that current evidence supports mRNA vaccines for booster doses due to stronger antibody and protection levels, but the government allows individuals to choose different vaccines, including non-mRNA options, for boosters if they prefer.
The Health Sciences Authority monitors vaccine safety, and adverse event rates are low and similar across vaccine types, with management based on local and international data.

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1 Nov 2021

Breakdown of Data on Patients with Mental Illness or Psychiatric Issues in Private and Public Health Institutions by Age Range

Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Health for the annual number of patients with mental illness in public and private institutions over the past 10 years, broken down by five specific age ranges.
Ong Ye Kung responded that data prior to and after 2013 are not comparable due to changes in data collection, but between 2013 and 2019, 72,668 unique Singapore residents aged 30 and below sought care for psychiatric conditions.
The Minister noted an increasing trend in the number of Singapore residents seeking care for mental health issues over the 2013 to 2019 period.
A summary of the annual number of Singapore residents who sought care is provided in Table 1, though the specific numbers per year and age range are not detailed in the debate text.

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1 Nov 2021

Easing of COVID-19 Restricted Measures for Friday and Daily prayers at Mosques

Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked when COVID-19 restrictions for Friday and daily prayers at mosques could be eased further.
Masagos Zulkifli B M M explained that MUIS follows medical and taskforce guidelines, with Friday prayer capacity growing from 6,400 in June 2020 to about 40,500 now.
More worshippers can now walk in for daily prayers, and MUIS will continue adjusting measures to ensure safety for all, including seniors.

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1 Nov 2021

Domestic Violence Cases Linked to COVID-19-related Mental Health Issues and Protocols for Reports by Healthcare Frontliners

Wan Rizal inquired about statistics linking domestic violence to COVID-19-related mental health issues and protocols for frontline mental health workers to report early warning signs.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development lacks specific data on such cases, as affected individuals may not disclose mental health concerns, but notes that 14% of those involved in personal protection orders had prior mental health diagnoses.
Existing guidelines and protocols are in place for frontline professionals to refer individuals with suspected mental health issues for assessment and treatment, though mental health conditions alone do not necessarily cause family violence.

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1 Nov 2021

Proposal to Minimise Home-based Learning and Allow Vaccinated Secondary Schools Students to Mix and Receive Support amidst COVID-19 Endemic

Christopher de Souza proposed minimizing home-based learning for vaccinated secondary school students to enable peer interaction and support, which is crucial for youth development in an endemic COVID-19 context.
The Ministry of Education emphasized keeping schools open safely, noting that prolonged home-based learning hampers learning and reduces relationship-building opportunities, but school-based learning continued for older students under strict safe management measures.
As Singapore transitions to living with COVID-19, MOE plans to resume more activities for secondary school students, including co-curricular and larger school events, with hopes to reintroduce inter-school experiences like the National School Games by next year, contingent on the national situation.

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1 Nov 2021

Data on Students with Mental Illness or Psychiatric Issues Made Known to Schools or Institutes of Higher Learning in Past 10 Years

Patrick Tay asked for annual data over the past decade on the number of students across primary schools, secondary schools, Institutes of Technical Education, Junior Colleges, polytechnics, and universities whose mental illness or psychiatric issues were made known to schools or Institutes of Higher Learning.
Chan Chun Sing responded that students seeking mental health support often do so confidentially through teaching staff and counsellors, and the Ministry does not collect or publish detailed statistics to protect privacy.
The minister noted increased counselling uptake, which may reflect greater willingness to seek help and better resources, but emphasized sensitivity and confidentiality prevent public disclosure of such data.

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1 Nov 2021

Efforts to Provide Peer Support and Emotional Comfort to Teachers Struggling with Mental Health and Workload

MOE supports schools in fostering a culture of care where teachers collaborate through Professional Learning Teams and receive guidance from Teacher Leaders or Instructional Mentors.
Peer support is strengthened via the Wellness Ambassador initiative, where nominated officers help direct colleagues to appropriate help resources.
Teachers have access to counselling through iCARE and a 24/7 Whole-of-Government Counselling Hotline for external professional support.
School Leaders actively engage staff through surveys and have Well-being Committees to address welfare, with MOE HQ providing resources and platforms for sharing best practices.
Teachers can also join Networked Learning Communities to collaborate with peers across schools, supported by Master Teachers in enhancing lesson plans.

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1 Nov 2021

Monthly Consumption of COVID-19 Antigen Test Kits and Plans to Increase Capability to Produce Test Kits Locally

Tan Wu Meng and Saktiandi Supaat asked about monthly ART kit consumption, local production, pricing, and supply resilience.
Gan Kim Yong reported that around 83 million ART kits were distributed or sold over the past three months, with eight kits approved for retail and two locally made for clinical use.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry collaborates with retailers and manufacturers to maintain supply and competitive prices, noting no reports of profiteering.

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1 Nov 2021

Progress on Development of Proposed Polyclinic at Junction of Serangoon Central and Upper Serangoon Road

Seah Kian Peng inquired about the status and completion timeline of a planned polyclinic at the Serangoon Central and Upper Serangoon Road junction.
Ong Ye Kung confirmed the polyclinic was announced in 2019 and is currently at the demolition stage, with construction set to start next year.
The Minister stated the polyclinic is scheduled to open by 2025, assuming no unexpected issues arise.

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1 Nov 2021

Social Services and Plans to Keep Seniors Meaningfully Engaged Despite COVID-19 Restrictions

The Ministry of Health is supporting partners to pivot senior engagement to virtual platforms, with agencies like the Council for Third Age and Eldercare Centres moving activities online while the SG Digital Office trains seniors in digital skills.
The Silver Generation Office introduced tele-engagements and helplines for tele-befriending and counselling, alongside AIC’s hotline for eldercare information, to support vulnerable seniors remotely.
For essential face-to-face interactions, safe management measures allow social, recreational, and befriending services to continue at Senior Care Centres and Active Ageing Care Hubs.
The government emphasizes that family support remains a key pillar in keeping seniors engaged and safe, complementing community and government efforts.

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