Delay in care for Jalan Tukang dorm residents due to insufficient resources, majority of workers there unvaccinated: MOM
David Sun
PUBLISHED 7 MIN AGO
SINGAPORE - There were delays in sending workers from the Westlite Jalan Tukang Dormitory to the appropriate care facilities due to inadequate resourcing following an unexpected rise in Covid-19 cases there, the chief of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) division set up to care for migrant workers has said.
The spike in cases in the Jurong dormitory in recent days was due to "a mandatory routine mass testing exercise by an employer on their workforce residing at the dormitory", said MOM Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) group chief Tung Yui Fai on Friday (Oct 15).
The majority of the workers staying there are not vaccinated, Mr Tung noted during a visit to the dormitory.
An estimated 500 of the 2,000 workers staying at the dorm have reportedly tested positive for the virus. About 1,400 of the workers are from Sembcorp Marine.
MOM did not say why Jalan Tukang has such a sizeable unvaccinated population, when over 90 per cent of dormitory residents in Singapore have been fully vaccinated since September.
Mr Tung's visit came two days after the situation culminated in a confrontation between workers and management on Wednesday (Oct 13) about delays in isolation of Covid-positive cases and poor quality food that saw riot police called in.
There were raised voices but no violence, and armoured officers left the scene that same afternoon.
Mr Tung said that the issues raised by the dorm's residents are being progressively resolved together with the dorm operator and employer.
The backlog of workers who tested positive in their antigen rapid tests has been cleared as they have all been sent to care or recovery facilities, while mobile clinical teams have been deployed to beef up resourcing at the dorm, he said.
"In the last two days since we have intervened, the conveyance has been observed to be smooth and no significant delays have been observed. We are very confident that the workers who are infected will be sent to recovery facilities," Mr Tung said.
More will be done to address migrant workers' concerns promptly, including about Singapore's shift from zero-Covid-19 to living with the virus, he added.
"I understand that the migrant workers in Westlite Tukang are anxious. Many of them have arrived in Singapore not too many months ago and are worried about infection as Singapore is transiting to 'living with Covid'," said Mr Tung.
"Hence, it is important to explain to them how we are doing this. (The) majority have not been vaccinated."
MOM is working with the workers' employer to encourage them to be vaccinated either with the vaccines under Singapore's national vaccination programme, or if they wish with a vaccine that they accept, Mr Tung added.
Mr Tung was accompanied during his visit on Friday by representatives from Sembcorp Marine and Centurion group, which manages the dormitory.
The authorities will "tighten up" its processes to ensure workers who get Covid-19 are sent to care or recovery facilities in a timely manner, said Mr Tung.
"As our processes are new, we will do our best to recover from any lapse," he said.
"We also appeal to the employers and workers to help us make sure that these processes are done properly and well."
