Around 23,000 staff members in Singapore’s community care organisations could receive pay increments of at least 7% under new salary guidelines to be introduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Tuesday, February 17.
Speaking during a visit to Alexandra Hospital on the first day of Chinese New Year, Ong said MOH will issue the revised salary guidelines “in the next couple of months”. Community care organisations will then need time to review the changes and make the necessary adjustments, with implementation expected by the end of the year or early next year.
The minister acknowledged that higher salaries would lead to increased operational costs for organisations. To help ease the transition, the government will provide a first tranche of S$100 million (US$79 million) in support to defray the additional expenses arising from the wage adjustments.
“I hope that with this move, we continue to make healthcare an attractive career,” he said, as quoted by CNA. Earlier in the day, Ong had also visited St Luke’s Hospital.
Community care organisations deliver intermediate and long-term care services to patients who require continued treatment after discharge from general hospitals, as well as seniors living in the community who need assistance with daily activities. Professionals in the sector work across community hospitals, nursing homes and hospices.
The latest move builds on earlier efforts to enhance wages in the healthcare sector. On the first day of Chinese New Year last year, Ong announced plans to improve salary packages for 37,000 allied health professionals, pharmacists, and administrative, ancillary and support staff.
NTUC and Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) President K Thanaletchimi said Tuesday’s announcement reflects the progress made through collaboration between MOH and the union. She described HSEU as a longstanding partner of the ministry, noting that regular reviews of healthcare workers’ salaries include those in the community care sector.
Thanaletchimi said healthcare workers in community care shoulder responsibilities comparable to their counterparts in the acute care sector. She added that HSEU has been advocating for stronger recognition and more competitive wages to narrow the salary gap between the two sectors.
“We encourage all community care organisations to meet these salary guidelines,” she told CNA, adding that the union will continue pushing for meaningful and sustained wage growth to ensure the healthcare sector remains attractive to talent.
