Enhanced Support and Expanded Community Access
Singapore is broadening mental health support for migrant workers across various dimensions, as announced by Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 2). New members of the Forward Assurance and Support Team (Fast) are now receiving basic training in mental health and psychological first aid, with 500 officers trained so far. These teams, stationed in dormitories, are pivotal in managing Covid-19 responses.
Additionally, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) collaborates with NGOs to enhance access to both counselling and para-counselling services, while also conducting educational webinars for dormitory operators and employers to raise mental health awareness. A system has been established with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to quickly address severe cases among migrant workers, ensuring they receive prompt medical attention.
Dr Tan responded to queries from Mr Edward Chia about the mental health of dormitory-residing migrant workers, revealing that 98 work permit holders were admitted to IMH from January to September 2021. This figure is lower than the previous year but higher than in 2019.
The ministry’s efforts extend beyond immediate care through the Project Dawn task force, which focuses on improving mental health support by training 600 peer support leaders by the end of 2022.
Addressing the constraints of movement due to Covid-19, Dr Tan outlined that any relaxation of restrictions must be careful to not overburden the healthcare system. Since August of the previous year, workers have been permitted to visit recreation centres, with the frequency of these visits now increased to three times weekly. The pre-visit testing requirement for vaccinated workers has been eliminated, and community visit limits have been expanded from 500 to 3,000 workers per week, now including areas like Geylang Serai and Joo Chiat with extended visit times from six to eight hours.
When questioned by Pritam Singh about the rationale behind the cap on community visits, Dr Tan explained the logistical complexities and safety measures involved, like coordinating with religious sites and managing transport and testing. He expressed optimism about gradually increasing access in the coming months, but emphasized the need for observation following the recent changes.
