Flexibility under Work Pass Framework to Hire Foreign Nurses to Meet Healthcare Sector Needs
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the measures taken to exercise flexibility under the work pass framework for hiring foreign nurses to address healthcare manpower needs. Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang inquired about additional quotas and the specific status of Dependant's Pass applications to help retain foreign nursing staff. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam explained that the healthcare sector has been allocated additional work pass quotas and greater flexibility to recruit from non-traditional sources. She noted that these measures are used judiciously to augment the nursing workforce and meet growing national healthcare demands. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam further affirmed that the Ministry is specifically looking into the Dependant’s Pass application process to address the concerns of foreign nurses.
Transcript
10 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health what are the measures taken with MOM to exercise appropriate flexibility under the work pass framework on the hiring of foreign nurses to meet the healthcare sector's manpower needs.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, MOH and MOM recognise that the healthcare sector needs foreign nurses and support care staff to augment the nursing workforce, to meet our growing healthcare needs. Hence, additional work pass quotas and greater flexibility to recruit foreign nurses and support care staff from non-traditional sources, have been allocated to the healthcare sector.
These measures have been used very judiciously by the sector.
Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. Could I just check, specifically, whether we are looking into the Dependant's Pass application by nurses? I think we agree that many have gone back home because they want to be closer to their loved ones and they cannot bring their loved ones to Singapore. And so, two clarifications: one, whether MOH is monitoring how successful their Dependant's Pass application is; and two, whether MOH can work specifically with MOM to see whether we can look into these applications more favourably.
And happy birthday to you as well, Sir.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To answer the question, yes, we are aware that this is an important concern of the foreign nurses, and yes, this is something that we are looking into specifically as well.