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Without a doubt, one of the largest and most shocking news stories of the year was the outbreak of COVID-19 in migrant worker dormitories. I looked back at how it happened and the critical gaps in healthcare for this community that its uncovered. 1/x https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-migrant-worker-dormitories-healthcare-support-13712794
First, the numbers. The prevalence of COVID-19 in dorms is 1 in 6. Compare this to the rate for the general population: 1 in 100. Migrant workers also make up more than 93% of total cases in SG. But back in March, there were only 18 cases in dorms. 2/x
That quickly exploded. If you go to the Health Ministry's Situation Report, you'll see that back in April, on the worst day for cases (Apr 20), 1397 dorm cases were reported. From 18 dorm cases in March, it went to 14,097 in April, then 18,504 in May. 3/x https://covidsitrep.moh.gov.sg/
Aid groups, the authorities &dorm operators all tried to get the situation under control. But when speaking to them about how it was back in April, they said that so much of that time was characterised by fear and uncertainty, exacerbated by a language barrier... 4/x
In time however, ground up initiatives like this website: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/she-builds-covid-19-translator-to-help-doctors-treat-foreign-12659352 which translates medical terms from English to Bengali and vice versa sprung up. Translators pitched in to engage workers on COVID-19 education. And doctors who spoke native languages helped. 5/x
But something else came up: mental health. I covered this back in Aug but that's when attempted suicides were reported in dorms. Workers were starting to feel the effects of prolonged isolation by then, with some having been quarantined for months. 6/x
More counsellors were arranged for, and in the long-run, there's a 2-year plan to beef up mental health resources for the community. 7/x https://twitter.com/IsabelleLimCNA/status/1324660974612148225
In reporting this story, another issue came up: chronic diseases. According to @HealthServeSG , many workers who have chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension, etc.) used to get meds from home where it was cheaper. But when travel restrictions hit, the supply was cut off. 8/x
Now @HealthServeSG does help some workers w this already. For ref, a month's supply could be around $50-80 from a regular GP, but HS provides 2 months' worth for $15, far more affordable for workers' whose ave. monthly pay is about $600: https://twc2.org.sg/2017/01/15/twc2-survey-starting-salaries-for-migrant-workers-flatlined-for-the-last-10-years/ 9/x
They said that they've seen a 50% increase in patients w chronic diseases coming to them since the circuit breaker. And they're planning for that number to triple next year. Right now, they're looking to work w hospitals for referrals to ensure continuity of care. 10/x
