Since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived on our shores, the Government has been subsidising the treatment of Covid-19 sufferers, including hospitalisation.
That is set to end on 1 Apr as Singapore moves into DORSCON (Disease Outbreak Response System Condition) Green.
Thereafter, Covid-19 patients will have to pay about S$700 if they end up in the hospital.
Hospital staff will also treat them like regular patients with respiratory symptoms.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam gave the estimate in Parliament on Friday (24 Feb).
She said that S$700 is the median figure for Covid-19 patients in a C-class ward.
Source: MCI Singapore on YouTube
They also arrived at the figure after deducting subsidies and making use of MediShield Life. Individuals can pay for the sum using MediSave, or failing which, MediFund.
The ‘S+3M’ framework (subsidies, MediShield Life, MediSave and MediFund) is “designed to fully cover the bills for patients with financial difficulties”, she added.
Ms Rahayu was responding to Yio Chu Kang MP Yip Hon Weng, who asked how much the average Singaporean would likely have to pay for Covid-19 treatment.
Ms Rahayu also assured Parliament that only a minority of Covid-19 sufferers would require admission to the hospital.
Photo for illustration purposes only.
In fact, after three years of the pandemic, she noted,
The vast majority of Covid-19 patients experience mild symptoms and are not expected to require a hospital admission.
Furthermore, having to stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to Covid-19 is now “very rare”, she said.
Even if they have to stay in the ICU, the S+3M framework will support them, she added.
The Government is withdrawing the free treatment for Covid-19 as they are no longer treating the disease in a special category.
That means no more special clinical protocols for it, and no more subsidies either, said Ms Rahayu.
Medical staff will thus treat Covid-19 patients like regular patients who have respiratory diseases. This means that doctors will make a judgement according to their clinical assessment and the severity of the patient’s illness.
Hence, patients will also pay the same amount as they would when receiving treatment for other acute respiratory diseases. That amounts to about S$20 to S$35 at a polyclinic after subsidy.
Those who have lasting symptoms — for example, those with long Covid-19 — will receive similar treatment to those who have lingering effects of other respiratory diseases.
Ms Rahayu explained that this is why it’s important for people suffering from infectious diseases to seek treatment promptly and exercise social responsibility, even if it’s not Covid-19.
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Featured image adapted from Changi General Hospital (CGH) on Facebook.
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