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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Sick foreign workers have it tough
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Many go untreated as bosses refuse to pay, and pay gets docked too if they can't work </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Nur Dianah Suhaimi
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Mr Sodeb (in orange), a foreign worker who broke his thumb last month, managed to get free treatment at the Singapore Medical Clinic. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
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When Bangladeshi worker Mohd Kamaluddin died in a cramped Tagore dormitory last Sunday after a seemingly harmless bout of chicken pox, many wondered if more could have been done to save the 28-year-old.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Scuffle at meeting to resolve workers' pay stalemate
The Tipper Corp dispute over the unpaid wages of 180 foreign workers turned ugly when a scuffle broke out during a high-level meeting last Monday.
The meeting held at a Tagore dormitory among the directors of Tipper Corp and Gates Offshore, its subcontractor, and three Ministry of Manpower officers was meant to resolve the issue of outstanding payment of workers' wages.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Among the questions asked: Why wasn't he given medical attention sooner? Why didn't anyone check on him during the six days he was ill?
Social workers say it is quite common for foreign workers who fall sick to go without treatment because employers refuse to pay and they cannot afford it themselves.
Many continue working despite being ill because their pay would get docked if they call in sick.
Living in cramped and unhygienic conditions with bed bugs, cockroaches and other pests also result in diseases spreading faster.
All foreign workers here have medical insurance bought for them by their employers - a practice made compulsory by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) since January last year.
However, migrant worker groups say the insurance does not guarantee the workers will get medical treatment when they fall ill.
For one thing, most insurance policies do not cover outpatient treatments, including common ailments such as fever or cold.
MOM rules stipulate that it is the employers' responsibility to pay for the medical expenses of their workers. However, there are irresponsible ones who ignore their workers when they fall ill, to save on medical costs.
Said Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of foreign worker welfare group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home): 'In some cases, the employer will tell the sick worker to take Panadol, rub some medicated ointment or just sleep it off. They take action only when the problem is visibly serious.'
In Mr Kamaluddin's case, his colleagues said a lorry had come to the dormitory to take him to the clinic on Sunday morning.
But it was too late. He was pronounced dead hours later. An autopsy has identified heart and lung failure as the cause of death. His employer, Gates Offshore, has been uncontactable since.
Most of the time, workers who can afford it will pay for their own clinic visits and medication.
'It's a double whammy for the workers. They have to pay for their own treatment and their pay gets cut when they call in sick,' said Mr Wham.
While hospitalisation charges are usually covered by insurance, employers have to first foot the bill before filing a claim.
But some unreasonable employers expect the workers to foot their own hospital bills, which can come up to a hefty amount, said Ms Sha Najak, helpline manager at advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2).
Each month, TWC2 sees an average of 20 workers who need medical attention but are not receiving any. Most of them have worksite injuries.
'Many workers do not have ready cash. They send the bulk of their salaries home, which leaves them with very little for extras like medical treatment,' she said.
To help these workers, social worker Ranjit Chandra opened a clinic last year.
Located at a shophouse near Farrer Park MRT station, the Singapore Medical Clinic waives treatment fees for needy foreign workers.
The clinic opens every day and employs local doctors.
On weekdays, it sees about 25 to 30 workers but weekends are the busiest, with up to 50 workers coming in for treatment, some from as far as Tuas.
About a fifth of them cannot afford medical treatment, said Mr Chandra.
According to the two doctors who work at the clinic, 40 of Mr Kamaluddin's colleagues from Tagore Industrial Avenue visited the clinic in truckloads after he died to check if they had chicken pox.
Only one had contracted the disease and he was given free treatment.
When The Sunday Times visited the clinic last Friday, at least two workers there did not have a cent on them to pay for their treatment.
One of them, Mr Sodeb Mochiram, 27, broke his thumb when a 40kg beam fell on his hand last month.
Since he could no longer work, his employer wanted to repatriate him to Bangladesh.
Desperate to stay, Mr Sodeb sought medical treatment on his own despite being penniless. Friends at work suggested that he visit Singapore Medical Clinic.
Said Mr Sodeb, who has since visited the clinic seven times: 'My injury has greatly improved and I still have not paid a cent. I'm very grateful for the help.'
[email protected] What can be done to ensure foreign workers get medical care? Send your comments to [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Many go untreated as bosses refuse to pay, and pay gets docked too if they can't work </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Nur Dianah Suhaimi
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Mr Sodeb (in orange), a foreign worker who broke his thumb last month, managed to get free treatment at the Singapore Medical Clinic. -- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->
When Bangladeshi worker Mohd Kamaluddin died in a cramped Tagore dormitory last Sunday after a seemingly harmless bout of chicken pox, many wondered if more could have been done to save the 28-year-old.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Scuffle at meeting to resolve workers' pay stalemate
The Tipper Corp dispute over the unpaid wages of 180 foreign workers turned ugly when a scuffle broke out during a high-level meeting last Monday.
The meeting held at a Tagore dormitory among the directors of Tipper Corp and Gates Offshore, its subcontractor, and three Ministry of Manpower officers was meant to resolve the issue of outstanding payment of workers' wages.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Among the questions asked: Why wasn't he given medical attention sooner? Why didn't anyone check on him during the six days he was ill?
Social workers say it is quite common for foreign workers who fall sick to go without treatment because employers refuse to pay and they cannot afford it themselves.
Many continue working despite being ill because their pay would get docked if they call in sick.
Living in cramped and unhygienic conditions with bed bugs, cockroaches and other pests also result in diseases spreading faster.
All foreign workers here have medical insurance bought for them by their employers - a practice made compulsory by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) since January last year.
However, migrant worker groups say the insurance does not guarantee the workers will get medical treatment when they fall ill.
For one thing, most insurance policies do not cover outpatient treatments, including common ailments such as fever or cold.
MOM rules stipulate that it is the employers' responsibility to pay for the medical expenses of their workers. However, there are irresponsible ones who ignore their workers when they fall ill, to save on medical costs.
Said Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of foreign worker welfare group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home): 'In some cases, the employer will tell the sick worker to take Panadol, rub some medicated ointment or just sleep it off. They take action only when the problem is visibly serious.'
In Mr Kamaluddin's case, his colleagues said a lorry had come to the dormitory to take him to the clinic on Sunday morning.
But it was too late. He was pronounced dead hours later. An autopsy has identified heart and lung failure as the cause of death. His employer, Gates Offshore, has been uncontactable since.
Most of the time, workers who can afford it will pay for their own clinic visits and medication.
'It's a double whammy for the workers. They have to pay for their own treatment and their pay gets cut when they call in sick,' said Mr Wham.
While hospitalisation charges are usually covered by insurance, employers have to first foot the bill before filing a claim.
But some unreasonable employers expect the workers to foot their own hospital bills, which can come up to a hefty amount, said Ms Sha Najak, helpline manager at advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2).
Each month, TWC2 sees an average of 20 workers who need medical attention but are not receiving any. Most of them have worksite injuries.
'Many workers do not have ready cash. They send the bulk of their salaries home, which leaves them with very little for extras like medical treatment,' she said.
To help these workers, social worker Ranjit Chandra opened a clinic last year.
Located at a shophouse near Farrer Park MRT station, the Singapore Medical Clinic waives treatment fees for needy foreign workers.
The clinic opens every day and employs local doctors.
On weekdays, it sees about 25 to 30 workers but weekends are the busiest, with up to 50 workers coming in for treatment, some from as far as Tuas.
About a fifth of them cannot afford medical treatment, said Mr Chandra.
According to the two doctors who work at the clinic, 40 of Mr Kamaluddin's colleagues from Tagore Industrial Avenue visited the clinic in truckloads after he died to check if they had chicken pox.
Only one had contracted the disease and he was given free treatment.
When The Sunday Times visited the clinic last Friday, at least two workers there did not have a cent on them to pay for their treatment.
One of them, Mr Sodeb Mochiram, 27, broke his thumb when a 40kg beam fell on his hand last month.
Since he could no longer work, his employer wanted to repatriate him to Bangladesh.
Desperate to stay, Mr Sodeb sought medical treatment on his own despite being penniless. Friends at work suggested that he visit Singapore Medical Clinic.
Said Mr Sodeb, who has since visited the clinic seven times: 'My injury has greatly improved and I still have not paid a cent. I'm very grateful for the help.'
[email protected] What can be done to ensure foreign workers get medical care? Send your comments to [email protected]
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