Use this website to look for clinics that charge just $10 for those with flu symptoms

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases here edges closer to three digits, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has activated hundreds of general practitioner clinics across the country to allow people with respiratory symptoms to receive subsidised treatment and medication. 

The initiative — the government’s latest attempt to contain the virus outbreak — will eventually see about 900 GP clinics activated as part of MOH’s network of designated Public Health Preparedness Clinics. 

The important question: how much are we expected to fork out to fix our flu and cough at these participating clinics? Citizens and permanent residents will just have to pay a flat rate of $10 for consultation and treatment, while Singaporeans in the Pioneer and Merdeka generations will only pay $5. 


Oh, and five days of sick leave too. Doctors at all clinics across the island — regardless of PHPC designation — have been advised to grant five days MC to patients displaying respiratory symptoms. The lengthy amount of time is to ensure that they stay away from infecting others and to separate genuine coronavirus cases from regular colds. 

To make things easier, MOH launched Flu Go Where, a microsite that lets you search for the nearest PHPCs wherever you live. As of writing, there are over 800 participating clinics that provide special subsidies, so finding one near your abode shouldn’t be an issue. 

If PHPC seems like a familiar acronym, that’s because the measure had been activated previously to deal with haze and the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009. 

Another government portal called Mask Go Where works pretty much the same way, but it shows the locations of community centres where constituents can collect a free pack of four surgical masks. 

For the latest updates on the coronavirus virus, visit here.

ilyas@asiaone.com