Requests from Households for Additional Antigen Rapid Test Kits in Past Year

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked the Minister for Health (a) in the past year, whether the Ministry has received requests from households for additional antigen rapid test (ART) kits; (b) if so, what is the number of such requests, broken down by (i) monthly household income and (ii) dwelling type; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider initiating the distribution of additional ART kits to low-income households.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has taken various measures to ensure that ART kits are widely available.

We conducted two nation-wide distributions of free ART kits to households in August and October 2021. Persons who test positive and their registered close contacts can collect free kits from ART vending machines located island-wide. We also issued over 200,000 ART kits to all Social Service Offices (SSOs) and 47 Family Service Centres (FSC) since October 2021, to be made available for their beneficiaries. We have also already facilitated more ART kit brands that meet our quality standards to be approved by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and made available for sale locally. The average ART kit retail price has thus been reduced from $12 to under $5.

As we go through the Omicron wave, the demand for ART kits is high, and globally, supply is tight. Fortunately, we have secured supply early, and is generally able to meet demand so far. Another nation-wide distribution of ART kits will be welcomed by many, but will not be the best use of our stock at this stage.