New community fund to help migrant workers afford treatments for critical illnesses

SINGAPORE - Migrant workers struck by critical illnesses like cancer and unable to afford life-saving treatment will soon be able to tap a new community fund to defray their medical bills.

The CritiCare Fund for Migrant Workers launched on Dec 6 aims to close the financing gaps for workers who fall ill here, given that their insurance payouts are often insufficient to cover actual treatment costs, said the fund’s founders.

Currently, employers of work permit and S Pass holders, including domestic helpers, need to provide their workers medical insurance coverage with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000.

But the mandatory insurance does not cover outpatient treatments such as chemotherapy, or overseas care if the worker is repatriated, said social entrepreneur Anthea Ong, one of the fund’s co-founders.

Besides providing financial relief, the fund will advocate more inclusive insurance coverage for migrant workers, said Mr Vincent Ng, the other co-founder of the new fund. 

It will do so by collecting data to understand the prevalence of various critical illnesses among low-wage migrant workers, he said at an event at The Foundry, a social impact hub at the site of the former Elections Department building.

For a start, the fund aims to raise $410,000 in 2025 through public donations, foundations and corporate partnerships, so as to support at least 20 migrant workers over two years.

Donations to the fund are collected and administered by registered charity Ray of Hope, an Institution of a Public Character.

Each worker’s case will be evaluated, with verification and needs assessments conducted by the fund’s secretariat team led by Mr Ng, who is also a founding member of non-profit cooperative A Good Space.

Currently, employers can opt to pay $9 a year to cover their migrant workers under an Income policy that pays out $10,000 should a worker be stricken by a critical illness.

But this sum is often insufficient to cover migrant workers’ treatment costs, which are not subsidised, noted Ms Ong, a former Nominated Member of Parliament.

According to the Ministry of Health, an unsubsidised operation in a public hospital averages $4,318 for prostate cancer, $11,513 for breast cancer and $22,613 for colorectal cancer. In-patient chemotherapy for an unsubsidised patient in a Class A ward averages $1,711 per session.

“We must find a way for insurers to offer critical illness policies with adequate payouts for our migrant workers without overburdening employers, so they can be on board with this responsibility,” said Ms Ong.

The new fund seeks to ensure that all low-wage migrant workers here, regardless of media attention or personal connections, can access life-saving support, she added.

As at June 2024, there are 1.1 million work permit holders in Singapore, of whom 300,000 are domestic workers and 440,000 are employed in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors.

The two co-founders said the fund was born out of their previous experience setting up crowdfunding campaigns to finance treatments for migrant workers.

They had raised $160,000 for Mr Fazley Elahi, who was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer, and $16,000 for Ms Bhing Navato, who had Stage 2B cervical cancer.

Ms Navato, 51, who had worked in Singapore for 28 years, was sent home to the Philippines in 2023 after her cancer diagnosis.

Joining the event via Zoom to talk about her experience, Ms Navato – who is now cancer-free – recalled her biggest fear being losing the job that had supported her family for decades.

The funds raised from the public allowed her to receive the chemotherapy and care she needed.

“For me and my family, this help was a lifeline,” she said. “I am grateful beyond words to everyone who supported me – it’s because of you that I have hope and a chance to live again.”

NTUC’s Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) said on Dec 6 that it welcomed the new fund, as it has encountered cases where workers face medical bills exceeding $60,000, or where smaller companies struggle with co-payments.

Another challenge arises when some employers choose to repatriate workers at the first sign of major medical needs, leaving workers without proper care or support, it said in a Facebook post.

In 2022, MWC chairman Yeo Guat Kwang said unexpected heart attacks, cancer, stroke and diabetes are among the leading causes of death among the migrant worker community in Singapore, from its experience.

Ms Ong said the new fund is a way for Singaporeans to forge a new social compact with migrant workers.

“This is our chance to show gratitude to those who have cared for our families and contributed to building our economy by ensuring they are not left alone in their darkest hour.”

Those who wish to donate to the fund can do so at

this link

.