No need to ask employees with Covid-19 for MCs: Tan See Leng

All employers here should not request medical certificates (MCs) from workers who test positive for Covid-19 as the healthcare system continues to face stresses from rising infections amid the Omicron wave, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said yesterday.

Employers and company human resource (HR) departments should familiarise themselves with prevailing Covid-19 health protocols and excuse employees from returning to their workplaces for the periods required, he told reporters during an interview at the Ministry of Manpower's headquarters in Havelock Road.

There is no need to require staff to produce recovery memos or medical assessments from a doctor before allowing them to go back to work after the required isolation period, the minister added.

Singaporeans with Covid-19 who want to have an official infection record can make an appointment to undergo a self-administered antigen rapid test (ART) under supervision at one of the combined test centres or quick test centres islandwide.

These tests will be fully funded by the Government until March 15, and the test results will be reflected in one's HealthHub records within 30 minutes.

Those who undergo ARTs at the testing centres will also get an SMS notification of their test results, which can be used as documentary proof of past infection.

Dr Tan said the stress on the healthcare system here has been felt especially acutely by general practitioner clinics, polyclinics and hospital emergency departments.

"A great majority of patients who go to them have either no symptoms or mild symptoms. Doctors have also shared that many patients have been visiting them for the sole purpose of obtaining medical certificates just so they can submit them to their workplaces," he said.

"I want to reiterate that these visits are not necessary and they risk compromising the standard of care for other patients who genuinely require medical care... You should just be able to tell your employers that you are not well and that you have tested ART-positive."

Dr Tan said he understood that there may be concerns about absenteeism, but he called upon HR departments and HR managers to be more understanding.

Dr Raymond Ong, managing director at Intemedical 24 Hour Clinic, has seen 20 per cent to 30 per cent more patients compared with the month before, and many of them have ARI symptoms.

He agreed that if patients who test positive for Covid-19 do not have severe illness and have their own medication to relieve symptoms, there is no need for them to see a general practitioner.

But he said it is common behaviour for those who are sick to see a doctor, noting that there is still a lot of fear about the coronavirus.