Gerald Giam on Singapore’s COVID-19 response

Healthcare capacity in Singapore was stretched even before the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of facilities and manpower persists even now. Making the point in Parliament on Monday (Mar 20), MP Gerald Giam said urgent changes are needed to reverse the attrition rate among nurses and boost their numbers. He called for nurses’ basic pay to be benchmarked against that of their contemporaries in other essential public services such as defence and education, as well as against their peers in places like Hong Kong, Australia and Canada. Beyond pay, work culture, working hours, professional development and greater recognition are also needed to improve the profession. Mr Giam also noted the difficulties faced by many people with disabilities in coping with COVID-19 safe management measures. He suggested having at least one member of the disability community on future emergency task forces to represent their views. Reminding the House of the initial shortage of face masks in Singapore at the start of the pandemic, Mr Giam asked if the Government would consider legislation similar to the US Defence Production Act which will empower it to direct private companies to prioritise its orders for essential supplies and take action to restrict hoarding. Finally, Mr Giam pointed to the “outsized role” played by Temasek-linked companies during the pandemic. He had several related questions. Would it be better to diversify the Government’s base of private-sector partners that can support the national effort in times of crisis? How much did Temasek and its related organisations spend out of their own budgets on COVID-19 initiatives? Did this expenditure constitute a draw on the national reserves and if so, was the President’s approval sought and obtained?