Singapore Employers Urged Not to Request Medical Certificates

Singapore's Ministry of Health is urging employers to avoid requesting medical certifications from employees to ease the workload of overworked healthcare workers.

 

Stay at home instead of going to clinics

"We urge employers not to insist that employees provide medical certificates or recovery memos if they have tested positive for COVID-19," the MOH stated in a statement.

The country's health ministry told employers to advise their employees who are at low risk and have mild symptoms and those who are physically healthy to isolate and recover at home rather than going to clinics or hospitals.

"They can submit a photograph of their test results or a video of them taking the ART," the Ministry of Health advised. The request comes as Singapore reports a spike in COVID-19 cases, with 26,032 new COVID-19 infections reported on Tuesday.

The high volume of new cases put local hospitals and clinics under extreme strain, and the government cautioned that it could take a "few weeks" until the transmission wave peaks and declines.

The recent stress encountered by healthcare workers is worsened by a growing number of patients with no or mild symptoms requesting ART to be carried out by medical professionals and documented in the ministry's records or asking for a medical certificate.

The ministry stated, "This has added significant workload to our healthcare providers who are already under significant pressure and stress."

Employees can submit a photo of their test results instead of requesting a medical certificate.

Avoid emergency department unless it's a life-threatening case

Additionally, the need for hospital beds is increasing, primarily for people recovering from underlying chronic conditions.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) stated that it is doing everything it can to assist healthcare providers, including:

• Increasing hospital capacity, 

• Spreading patient loads to private institutions, and

• Boosting healthcare workforce with the Singapore Healthcare Corps and Armed Forces Medics.

"We have also further adjusted our health protocols to allow more patients to be able to recover at home," the ministry added.

Singapore's Ministry of Health also asks people to avoid going to a hospital's emergency department (ED) unless they are in a life-threatening situation.

"Patients who walk into EDs with non-emergency conditions, including children, may be diverted to other urgent care clinics or primary care clinics for further assessment, so as to prioritise ED resources for patients who need the medical care," it said.

It also advised the people to see their primary care doctor first if they needed medical help. The government has extended the operational hours of Public Health Preparedness Clinics from February 25 to March 10 to accommodate them.

"We seek everyone's continued effort and cooperation to do our part to preserve our medical resources for those who need them most," the health ministry said.

 

Source: Ministry of Health Singapore