Singapore starts charging visitors for coronavirus treatment
"We will need to prioritise the resources at our public hospitals in this hour of pandemic"
Singapore announced to charge visitors for coronavirus treatment from now on. This order came into effect from Monday, 7 March.
The new measure was announced when three new coronavirus cases were reported of which two were Indonesians, reports Bangkok Post.
Declaring its new stance on payment for treatment they authority said, foreigners who are short-term visit pass holders who seek treatment for Covid-19 in Singapore need to pay but testing for the virus remains free.
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"In view of the rising number of Covid-19 infections globally, and the expected rise in the number of confirmed cases in Singapore, we will need to prioritise the resources at our public hospitals," the health ministry said in a statement.
As of now, treatment of severe respiratory infections in the public hospitals of Singapore typically cost between $4,300-5,800 according to the Ministry of Health's website.
Until now, Singapore has confirmed 160 cases of coronavirus among them 93 have been discharged and 10 are in Intensive care unit with not a single death, reports Singapore Times.
