PROVIDING A WIDER SAFETY NET
Bangladesh construction worker Jo (not his real name), who was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix in April, was sent back home shortly after and had to pay for his own treatment.
The 43-year-old, who had been working in Singapore since 2001, paid for his appendicitis surgery out of his own pocket as he did not have support from his employer. He is currently recovering back home and is unsure if he will be able to return to Singapore for work.
“This operation, this money, this one all I need to pay,” said Jo, who had been with the employer for more than a year. “My boss said it like that, your insurance cannot cover this (amount of) money.”
If a worker has a medical condition unrelated to their work, employers can send them home to continue treatment at their own expense. That is only if the worker has been declared fit to travel by a doctor.