Oral Answer to PQ on MDWs mental health treatment

NOTICE PAPER NO. 73 OF 2025 FOR SITTING ON OR AFTER 29 SEPTEMBER 2025
QUESTION NO. 471 FOR ORAL ANSWER

MP: Dr Hamid Razak

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) from 2021 to 2025, whether there is data on the number of migrant domestic workers in Singapore who have (i) sought treatment for mental health conditions or (ii) encountered legal issues when seeking treatment for mental illnesses; and (b) if so, what is the data.

Answer:

Between 2022 to 2024, less than 20 migrant domestic workers (MDWs) each year sought medical assistance at public healthcare institutions, polyclinics and GPs for mental health reasons. MOM has not come across any cases of MDWs encountering legal issues when seeking such assistance.

2 MDWs’ legal rights to access medical treatment, including for mental health conditions, are protected under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act which requires employers to cover their MDW’s medical expenses, including for mental health treatments. Employers who deny their MDWs of necessary medical treatment could be fined up to $10,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 12 months. The employer may also be barred from employing migrant workers in future.