Thanks to subsidies such as Medisave, Singaporeans’ dental treatments are relatively inexpensive and only cost a fraction of what we’d normally have to pay.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for migrant workers here, who do not enjoy the subsidies that Singaporeans take for granted.
When a migrant worker came down with a toothache, welfare group ItsRainingRaincoats came to the rescue and raised an impressive amount.
But the best part was yet to come — it turns out that they found a kind dentist who capped the dental treatment at just $100 for the migrant worker.
Within 2 days, the worker rectified his toothache and finally had a good night’s sleep, grateful and thankful for the help from the community.
ItsRainingRaincoats shared on Facebook that a migrant worker reached out to them for help with a toothache that he was having.
While he wasn’t sure of the cause, he was told that he’d likely have to extract the tooth causing the pain.
Worried about the costs as he was unlikely to be able to afford the treatment, he reached out to IRR.
Very quickly, IRR put out a call for help and the community came out in droves, contributing heavily for his treatment.
Turns out, the call for help served another purpose.
A kind dentist was able to do the dental treatment for just $100, which is substantially less than the actual cost of over $1,000.
Those familiar with wisdom tooth surgery will know about how much it can cost without Medisave.
Migrant workers don’t have access to that, or earn the wages to afford such treatments here.
But with the dentist’s help, the migrant worker finally found relief from the pain — in more ways than one.
Just look at the texts he sent IRR following the surgery.
With a toothy grin, the migrant worker showed his gratitude to IRR and everyone who helped out in his predicament.
Finally, IRR is making a call for dentists who are able to offer free dental care to migrant workers.
This is because many struggle with issues such as toothaches and are unlikely to be able to afford the costs of treatment.
Many are also afraid to let their employers know of their issues due to the extra costs, which puts them in vulnerable situations.
Luckily, the community is able to help, but ideally dentists who can offer cheaper treatments would be best.
Likewise, if any migrant workers have issues with toothache, they can contact IRR too, and they’ll gladly connect them with help.
Our guest workers help to keep Singapore running, yet they’re denied many things we take for granted. Dental treatments are just one of these.
But it’s been heartening to see the outpouring of support for them, especially the kind dentist who capped their treatment at just $100.
Such kind deeds go a long way to helping migrant workers get what they need.
We hope that others who are struggling will also get the help they need, and kudos to IRR for constantly helping them with their issues.
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Featured image adapted from Digital Senior and Facebook.
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