Medical screenings for domestic helpers: Here are the most affordable clinics to visit

Medical screenings are an essential part of ensuring that we are in good health. That’s even more important for our domestic helpers who need to be in the pink of health to carry out their duties and to take care of our children and seniors.

As of June 2021, there are 245,600 migrant domestic workers (MDWs) working in Singapore. With the rising demands of elder care given Singapore’s aging population, many of us would have either considered hiring or have already hired migrant domestic workers to help alleviate our caregiving burdens.

One of the most important considerations during the hiring process of a MDW in Singapore are the mandatory medical examinations that they must be sent for to be approved for work in Singapore by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Read on to find out more about the various mandatory medical examinations for domestic helpers, the associated costs of such examinations, and other things to consider while hiring an MDW.

Mandatory medical examinations for domestic helpers

In general, there are two types of mandatory medical examinations for domestic helpers that must be administered for them to receive and maintain approval for working in Singapore.

They are the Pre-Employment Maid Medical Examination and the Six-Monthly Medical Examination (6ME).

Pre-Employment Maid Medical Examination

As an employer, you must send your MDW for a pre-employment medical examination within two weeks of her arrival in Singapore or one week from her Stay-Home-Notice completion.

Ensure that she brings along the medical examination form for her tests.

Her work permit will only be issued if she passes the tests, otherwise she will have to be sent home.

The medical examination checks if your domestic helper is fit for work and examines her for these four types of infectious diseases:

• Tuberculosis
• HIV
• Syphilis
• Malaria

If you have any specific concerns about her health, you may also send her for additional tests for other diseases.

You can also request for a copy of the report from her doctor if you’d like to know her medical examination results.

Six-Monthly Medical Examination (6ME)

After hiring your domestic helper, it’s important to ensure that she remains healthy while in your employment. Therefore, you must also send her for mandatory six-monthly medical examinations.

The test results from these 6MEs must be certified by a Singapore-registered doctor. Do take note that you must pay for the costs of the 6ME and any medical expense that may arise from it.

The frequency of tests that must be conducted during the 6ME are as follows:

• Pregnancy and VDRL – every six months
  • The VDRL, or Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test is a screening test for syphilis. It detects the presence of syphilis antibodies.
• HIV – every two years
• TB – Once, upon two years of stay in Singapore
• Checks on Body Mass Index (BMI) and visible signs of abuse

All 6ME results must be submitted to MOM, regardless of which tests your domestic helper needs to take.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that only clinics are allowed to submit 6ME results to MOM. You can use MOM’s FDW eService to check if your domestic helper’s results have been submitted and view them.

Do further take note that all 6MEs must be conducted in clinics.

During the examination, employers or their representatives should not be present.

Don’t worry if these requirements all sound complicated to you and you’re not sure when to send your domestic helper for a 6ME. MOM will send you a letter and 6ME form by post when your domestic helper’s 6ME is due. Simply ensure that your domestic helper completes her 6ME by the stipulated due date.

If your domestic helper is 50 years old and above, she’s exempted from having to take the 6ME. Instead, she only needs to go for a medical examination upon renewal of her Work Permit.

If your domestic helper’s employment period ends within one month from the 6ME due date, you can also opt not to send her for the 6ME.

Click here to find out more about other situations that you may wish to apply for a 6ME waiver or exemption.

Average costs of medical screenings

Here are some estimated average costs of the medical screenings that your domestic helper will require:

List of clinics to consider

Most clinics will offer packages that include the required medical tests for your domestic helper’s mandatory medical screenings. To make things easier for you, here are some public and private clinics you can consider:

Public

SATA CommHealth

SATA CommHealth is a charity that provides care for the health of seniors and vulnerable in the community. As part of their programme offerings, they offer 6ME health screening packages for FDWs.

The basic 6ME Screening Package costs $51.36 and includes:

• Medical Consultation
• VDRL
• Urine Pregnancy Test

The comprehensive Screening Package costs $89.88 and includes:

• Medical Consultation
• VDRL
• Urine Pregnancy Test
• HIV Screening
• Chest Xray

You should therefore opt for the comprehensive Screening Package if your domestic helper has worked in Singapore for two years.

Locations:

• Ang Mo Kio Medical Centre: 715 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, #01-4008/4010, Singapore 560715
• Bedok (Uttamram) Medical Centre: 351 Chai Chee St, SATA CommHealth Building, Corporate HQ, Singapore 468982
• Jurong Medical Centre: 135 Jurong Gateway Rd, #04-345, Singapore 600135
• Potong Pasir Medical Centre: 1 Siang Kuang Ave, Singapore 347919
• Tampines Medical Centre: 5 Tampines Central 6, #01-01A Telepark Building, Singapore 529482
• Woodlands Medical Centre: 900, #04-01 S Woodlands Dr, Civic Centre, 730900

Operating Hours:

Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm / 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm (Closed for lunch break & cleaning: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)

Saturday: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

Contact Number: 6244 6688

For more information, click here.

Private

Thomson Medical

Thomson 24-Hour Family Clinic offers the following medical test packages for your domestic helper’s mandatory medical examinations:

Test Combination	Price
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (BHCG)	$58 (before GST)
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (BHCG) HIV Test	$78 (before GST)
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (BHCG) Chest X-Ray	$98 (before GST)
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (BHCG) Chest X-Ray HIV Test	$118 (before GST)

Pre-employment check-up and 6ME medical examinations for FDWs are available during office hours only.

Address:

Thomson 24-Hour Family Clinic, Level 1, Thomson Medical Centre, 339 Thomson Road, Singapore 307677

Contact number: 6350 8812

For more information on Thomson Medical, click here.

Mediway Medical

Mediway Medical offers full medical examinations for getting Work Permit approval at a flat rate of $50.00 with all necessary tests included.

You may walk-in for your medical examination on Monday – Friday, 7.30am to 4.30pm & Saturday, 7.30am to 12.30pm (closed on Sundays and Public Holidays).

Address:

1 Sophia Rd, #04-21 Peace Centre, Singapore 228149

Opening Hours:

Monday – Friday: 7.30am – 6.00pm

Saturday: 7.30am – 1.00pm

1.00pm – 2.00pm on lunch break

Closed: Sunday / public holidays

Contact number: +65 69090190

Bethesda Medical Center

Bethesda Medical Center offers the following medical examination packages for your domestic helper’s mandatory medical screenings:

Medical Examination	Price (Excluding GST)
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (bHCG)	45
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (bHCG) HIV Test	60
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (bHCG) Chest X-Ray	60
Blood Test for Syphilis (VDRL) Pregnancy Test (bHCG) Chest X-Ray HIV Test	75

Address:

3 Temasek Boulevard, #03-330 Suntec City Mall, North Wing Near Tower 2, Singapore 038983

Opening Hours:

Mondays-Fridays: 8.30am-1.00pm / 2.00pm-5.30pm

Saturdays: 9.00am-12.00pm

Contact Number: +65 6337 8933

For more information on Bethesda Medical Center’s services, click here.

How to check your MDW’s medical examination date

To check for your domestic helper’s medical examination date, you can log in to the MOM’s FDW eService to check her previous 6ME date. You can then know when her next screening is due and reprint the 6ME form as well.

Other medical services to consider for your domestic helper

Depending on the intended care recipients, you may also wish to consider other medical screenings for your domestic helper. This is especially so if they are caring for young children or seniors or other vulnerable immunocompromised persons.

For instance, you may wish to consider getting your domestic helper immunised against common diseases such as whooping cough or tetanus.

Speak to their doctor about any concerns you may have to get better advice on which additional tests and health screenings your domestic helper should go for.

Healthcare costs for home care

As we’ve seen, the mandatory health screening costs for hiring and maintaining a domestic helper in employment can add up to significant amounts over the years. And that’s not even considering other fixed costs that are incurred by hiring a domestic helper such as the maid levy.