Medical workers collect swab sample for COVID-19 testing (Photo: AFP/VNA) Singapore (VNA) – COVID-19 patients in Singapore who are unvaccinated "by choice” have to cover their own medical costs from December 8 if they are admitted to hospitals or COVID-19 treatment facilities, the Ministry of Health has announced.
The new rule will apply to patients who are eligible for vaccination but choose not to do so.
The Singaporean Government is currently footing the full COVID-19 medical bills of all Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders, other than for those who test positive soon after returning from overseas travel.
Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on the national healthcare resources, the ministry said.
From January 1 next year, only Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who are fully vaccinated and have not recently travelled to other countries will have their COVID-19 medical bills fully paid for by the government.
To date, 85 percent of the country’s population of 5.45 million has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Singapore has reported more than 218,330 infections so far, with about 8,000 child patients./.
