MEDICAL EXAMINATION REPORTS OF FOREIGN PRACTITIONERS

Mr Tay Beng Chuan asked the Minister for Health whether his Ministry will consider accepting medical examination reports from qualified practitioners in other countries for the purpose of issuing employment passes to foreign talents who are required to undergo a medical examination in Singapore.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Foreign workers in Singapore have to undergo a medical examination to ensure that they meet minimum health standards. It is also to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in Singapore.

The rationale for requiring the medical examination to be conducted in Singapore in accredited medical establishments is to maintain an acceptable standard of medical examination and tests.

We have received feedback that this requirement could pose difficulties and inconvenience to some applicants. MOH and MOM have reviewed this. We recognise that health concerns should be balanced against economic needs. EP holders, unlike the WP group, represent the skilled and professional talent that we wish to encourage companies to employ. We therefore should facilitate companies wanting to employ these talents, by not insisting on medical examinations in Singapore for new entrants.

Foreign talents who wish to apply for an employment pass to work in Singapore will therefore be allowed to opt to have the medical examination done in their home country or in Singapore. However medical examinations required for renewal of Employment Passes would still have to be done in Singapore.