Government To Foot Medical Bills For COVID-19 Patients Admitted Into Public Hospitals

Not everyone can afford to stay at a hospital, even public ones.

And with the COVID-19 outbreak, people who can’t afford it now face even more pressures:

• Will they survive?
• And will they survive the debt?

Well, if you, or someone you know, has such a concern, then you’ll be relieved to know that the Singapore government is footing the bill for you.

Now you can focus on just recovering well.

Singapore Government To Pay 100% Of COVID-19 Patients Medical Bills

On 12 Feb 2020, it was reported that the Singapore government will be paying the medical bills of COVID-19 patients.

And it’s not the usual percentage subsidies, they’re paying it in full.

But there’s a condition: The COVID-19 patients must be admitted into a public hospital.

Currently, all patients suspected of contracting the COVID-19 virus must be admitted into hospital and isolated from the community.

So if you visited the GP clinic or polyclinics, you’re not eligible for the coverage. COVID-19 patients in private medical facilities are also not eligible for the coverage.

And it’s not just the government.

It was also announced that Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) policyholders and riders from insurers will be covered for hospitalisation expenses related to COVID-19.

Current Coronavirus Situation in S’pore

As of the COVID-19 situation in Singapore, the total number of confirmed cases has increased to 50.

The confirmed clusters of the coronavirus have likewise increased to five:

• Yong Thai Hang shop, which is linked to 9 cases
• The Life Church and Mission Singapore Church, which is linked to 5 cases
• Grand Hyatt Hotel, which is linked to 3 cases in Singapore and 4 cases overseas
• Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site, which is linked to 2 cases
• Grace Assembly of God in Tanglin and Bukit Batok, which is linked to 2 cases

So far, out of all the 50 confirmed cases, 15 of them have fully recovered and are discharged.

8 of them are in critical condition and warded in the ICU. The remaining 27 of them are stable or recovering well.

There are still 125 pending cases, and 1,090 close contacts have been identified. 984 are still in Singapore and MOH has managed to contact 961 of them. They are still working to contact the other 23 close contents.

The director of medical services at the Ministry of Health emphasised recently that as a virus transmitted via droplets, the most important things are:

• Being careful of where you touch
• Washing your hands frequently

Here are several hygiene habits that you might want to cultivate today.

In the meantime, stay updated by bookmarking MOH’s website.