Singapore: Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on Friday (November 5) that public health workers will receive a bonus of up to S$4,000 in recognition of their efforts in the fight against COVID-19.
The award also extends to staff of community care organizations that provide frontline services, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release that these facilities “expanded capacity and worked tirelessly to keep vulnerable elderly people in need of care away from hospitals and free up beds.”
It added: “These organizations, together with public medical institutions, are also part of our fight against COVID-19.”
Approximately 100,000 employees from eligible medical institutions will receive the award.
The Ministry of Health said: “This is a recognition of the contribution and dedication of medical staff in this struggle.”
The Ministry of Health also stated that it will provide a grant of S$10,000 to each public health preparation clinic to recognize their contribution in the fight against COVID-19.
In a speech at the National Medical Excellence Awards on Friday, Mr. Ong said that monetary awards “do not fully reflect the contribution of our medical staff, nor are they the main motivation for medical staff.”
“But the Ministry of Health should do this to recognize your contribution in this very special year,” he said.
Public health workers will receive the award in December, while public health preparation clinics and qualified community care workers will receive the award in the first quarter of 2022.
The Ministry of Health said: “After more than 20 months of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare system and healthcare personnel are under tremendous pressure.”
“Although riding a transmission wave is a necessary process for coexistence with COVID-19, the large number of cases has led to a strong demand for medical services and high workloads in public hospitals (including intensive care units and emergency rooms),” it added.
“As various departments begin to fully resume operations, and as society gradually restarts more activities, the healthcare sector continues to face tremendous pressure as the last line of defense.”
Singapore announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on January 23 last year.
Mr. Ong said last month that most medical staff did not take vacations during the pandemic, adding that the Ministry of Health had begun to arrange them to take vacations before the end of the year.
He said that allowing leave will “provide much-needed relief” for medical staff.
The ministry lifted the suspension of overseas vacations for medical staff last month.
