SINGAPORE - Migrant workers will have clinics closer to where they live as part of plans to help them strengthen their health and well-being.

Instead of travelling up to 3km to reach a doctor, they will soon have a clinic within 2km, when the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) enhances the Primary Care Plan (PCP) for migrant workers from April 1, 2027. The plan is for meant for migrant workers who live in dormitories or work in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors. It does not cover migrant domestic workers.

Migrant workers pay $5 per consultation. MOM will also be revising the fixed, annual payment rates employers pay for each worker, lowering it further to range from $97 to $113 per worker each year. The current rate is between $108 and $138.

This, MOM said, translates to almost all employers paying the same or lower annual capitation rate for their workers.

Chief of the Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group at MOM Tung Yui Fai said: “(The enhancements) reflect MOM’s commitment to make sure that migrant workers continue to enjoy accessible and affordable healthcare, while maintaining affordable and sustainable cost for employers.

“We will continue to work with healthcare providers and partners to ensure that the healthcare outcomes (of migrant workers) are delivered well, and that we will continue to have good health seeking behaviour for migrant workers.”

The enhancements were made possible by consolidating the existing six PCP geographical zones to four larger ones, streamlining clinic operations and ensuring service hours coordinated with foreign workers’ healthcare needs and utilisation patterns.

Since its introduction in 2022, the PCP has been providing foreign workers with affordable and accessible primary healthcare. It came about following lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreaks.