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Malay Mail
16-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Singapore launches mental health guide to match care with patient needs
SINGAPORE, July 16 — Singapore has introduced a national guidebook to standardise the assessment and referral process for individuals seeking mental health support, as part of the country's four-tier care model, reported Xinhua. Unveiling the guide at the eighth Singapore Mental Health Conference, Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon highlighted findings from a 2023 national survey showing that 15 per cent of residents reported experiencing poor mental health. To better match individuals with appropriate levels of care and ensure effective use of resources, Singapore's tiered model organises mental health services into four tiers, based on the severity of symptoms, complexity of needs, and intensity of interventions required. Tier one comprises foundational support such as school-based mental health curricula, digital self-help platforms, and community-based resources like parent groups and peer networks. Tier four includes psychiatric assessment and medical intervention by trained professionals. For example, if an individual experiencing moderate distress is initially supported through a tier two service and is assessed through a standardised tool to require more intensive care, they will be referred to tier three for further intervention, Koh said. The guidebook initially focuses on managing depression, anxiety, and suicidality, and may later be expanded to include less common mental health conditions. Koh also announced plans to expand acute psychiatric services across all regional healthcare clusters to improve accessibility and continuity of care across the island. — Bernama-Xinhua
Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Acute psychiatry services to be expanded: MOH
Find out what's new on ST website and app. SINGAPORE - Acute psychiatry services will be expanded across all healthcare clusters to meet increasing demand, so that more patients will have greater access to help when they urgently need it. Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Health said this in a speech at the Singapore Mental Health Conference at Singapore Expo) on July 16. Mental health services within acute hospitals remain an important and significant touchpoint for individuals with acute mental health needs requiring specialist care and for those in crisis, he said. Acute psychiatry services include inpatient and outpatient services. Currently, inpatient psychiatric care in Singapore is available at six out of 11 public hospitals. These are the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National University Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Sengkang Hospital. Outpatient specialist mental health services are available in IMH and all acute hospitals. Dr Koh also launched a practice guide for Singapore's tiered care model for mental health. This guide was jointly developed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) , Ministry of Social and Family Development, and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) , with input from numerous stakeholders. The guide is available on the MOH website. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years The guide aims to standardise assessment methods and referral procedures across service providers based on the intensity and stability of clients' symptoms, and the types of care required . For example, a Community Outreach Team (Crest) – a Tier 2 service under the national strategy – may refer a distressed individual with moderate mental health needs to a Community Intervention Team (Comit), which is a Tier 3 service, if a standardised assessment tool has determined that the client requires further diagnosis and/or psychosocial intervention, explained Dr Koh. With the practice guide, there will be greater consistency in how service providers deliver care and help their clients navigate the mental health ecosystem. To begin with , the practice guide focuses on the management of depression, anxiety and suicidality, and may be expanded to cover other less common mental health conditions in the future, he said. In addition, MOH will roll out a pocket guide for members of the public to more easily identify the types of mental health support and services available. Dr Koh said more details will be provided at a later date. The 8th edition of Singapore Mental Health Conference will run from July 16-17, with a heavy focus on digital mental health and artificial is jointly organised by IMH, National Council of Social Service, AIC , and the Health Promotion Board.
CNA
14-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Platform Workers Trilateral Group to submit recommendations on fair competition concerns by end of 2025
SINGAPORE: A trilateral group looking into the issue of foreigners taking on delivery jobs in Singapore illegally is aiming to submit its recommendations by the end of the year, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon on Monday (Jul 14). Announced earlier this month, the Platform Workers Trilateral Group comprises the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Grab Singapore, who will work with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliated associations to tackle this and other issues affecting platform workers. Meeting for the first time on Monday, the group agreed on two areas to focus on, said Mr Koh in a Facebook post. First, it will consider how to address platform workers' concerns about fair competition stemming from "outsourcing practices and unauthorised activities" in the sector. These include foreigners illegally using platform accounts or taking on delivery jobs without valid work passes, as well as the provision of illegal hitch services, said Mr Koh. Second, the group "will work with platform operators to establish fair and safe principles for payment and incentives schemes". "We look forward to having further robust discussions on how we can work together to address challenges faced by platform workers and safeguard their well-being," said Mr Koh. In a Facebook post on Monday, Grab said: "Our goal as a trilateral group is to co-create solutions and industry best practices to protect the livelihoods of platform workers and safeguard their well-being, especially against unlicensed workers and services." In announcing the group's formation, NTUC had said that "urgent action" was needed to address the issue of foreigners performing delivery jobs illegally as it creates unfair competition for delivery workers and has a direct impact on their earnings. The group is being overseen by Mr Koh, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Grab group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang. MOM and MOT also said in a joint statement earlier that the group will collectively address the challenges faced by platform workers and safeguard their well-being in a rapidly evolving economy. The ministries added that they were looking to bring other platform operators into the group's discussions subsequently.
Malay Mail
05-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Singapore govt, NTUC and Grab form work group to address illegal foreign delivery riders
SINGAPORE, July 5 — Singapore has formed a trilateral work group to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on delivery jobs on platforms and affecting local platform workers' earnings. The Straits Times reported that the work group includes the Ministry of Manpower (MoM), Ministry of Transport (MoT), Grab Singapore, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliated associations. 'Our platform workers are vulnerable, as they face a variety of challenges in making a living. It is not right that they suffer from reduced earnings due to competition from illegal workers,' said NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng. MoM and MoT said in a joint statement on July 4 that the group will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Grab's group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang. Ng had called on the government on July 4 to form such a work group to address issues impacting platform workers, who contract with platform operators mainly for ride hailing and delivery work. Platform workers in Singapore include private-hire drivers for companies like Grab and Gojek, and delivery riders for services like GrabFood, foodpanda and Deliveroo. NTUC said it had received feedback about foreigners misusing accounts to take on delivery jobs illegally, despite platform work being restricted to Singaporeans. The union noted that while platform operators can outsource delivery jobs to companies that may hire foreigners with work permits, there have been cases of foreigners working illegally without permits. 'This creates illegal or unfair competition for our delivery workers, and it has a direct impact on their earnings,' NTUC said. NTUC added that platform workers already face challenges such as income instability, driven by uncertainty over job allocation and earnings determined by algorithms. The labour movement said platform companies' incentive schemes encourage longer working hours, which can lead to safety concerns. It also noted that unauthorised ride-hailing services on platforms like Telegram have reduced the earnings of private-hire drivers in the past year. MoM and MoT said the group will collectively address these challenges and safeguard workers' well-being amid the rapidly evolving platform economy. The ministries said Grab's participation sends a strong signal of platform operators' commitment to collaborate with the government and NTUC to address these issues. They added that discussions may later include other platform operators. A Grab spokesman said the company is committed to working with the government, NTUC and other platform operators to stamp out illegal delivery services and protect platform workers' livelihoods. Grab said it has measures in place to prevent foreigners from registering as platform workers and will work within the group to co-develop best practices. The ministries said the group will serve as a regular platform for the government to support efforts that may require regulatory action. In a Facebook post, Ng said NTUC and its associations have championed the rights of platform workers through the Platform Workers Act, which came into effect in 2025. Ng added that more must be done quickly as challenges such as foreigners illegally doing delivery jobs make it harder for platform workers to earn a stable income.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trilateral workgroup formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work
SINGAPORE – A workgroup has been formed by the Government, following a call by the labour movement to tackle the issue of foreigners illegally doing delivery work here, and impacting the earnings of platform workers. The trilateral work group consists of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Ministry of Transport (MOT), Grab Singapore as well as the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) along with its affiliated associations. In a joint statement on July 4, MOM and MOT said that the group will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, and Grab's group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang. This comes after Mr Ng had earlier on July 4 called on the Government to form such a workgroup to address the issue, as well as other challenges facing platform workers, who contract with platform operators to provide services, primarily in ride hailing and delivery. Their ranks here include private-hire drivers working for companies like Grab and Gojek, and delivery riders for services like GrabFood, foodpanda and Deliveroo. Mr Ng said in a statement: 'Our platform workers are vulnerable, as they face a variety of challenges in making a living. It is not right that they suffer from reduced earnings due to competition from illegal workers.' NTUC said it had received feedback of such illegal practices through its regular engagement with platform workers. 'Some of these foreigners illegally take on delivery jobs directly on platforms by misusing accounts,' said NTUC. 'This is not allowed, as platform work can only be undertaken by Singaporeans.' NTUC also noted that platform operators here are allowed to outsource delivery jobs to other companies, which can hire foreigners with work permits to fulfill the jobs. However, there have been reports of some foreigners illegally performing such jobs without work permits, it added. 'This creates illegal or unfair competition for our delivery workers, and it has a direct impact on their earnings,' it added. This latest problem comes on top of other challenges that platform workers already face, such as income instability, noted NTUC. Such instability can be caused by drivers or riders having a lack of clarity on what kind of jobs they will be allocated and how much they will earn, as these are determined by algorithms. Platform companies also have incentive schemes that encourage longer working hours, which can lead to safety issues, it added. The labour movement noted that, in the past year, unauthorised ride-hailing services have also sprouted up on messaging apps like Telegram, eating into the ride-hailing pie and reducing the earnings of private-hire drivers. MOM and MOT said the trilateral group will collectively address these challenges faced by the workers and 'safeguard their well-being in view of the rapidly evolving platform economy'. The ministries added that the proactive participation of Grab, a key player in Singapore's platform economy, sends a strong signal on the commitment of platform operators in collaborating with the Government and NTUC to address salient issues. 'We will explore bringing the other platform operators into the discussions subsequently,' said the ministries. A Grab spokesman said in a statement that the company is committed to working alongside the Government, NTUC, and other platform operators to stamp out illegal delivery services and safeguard the livelihoods of platform workers. The spokesman added that Grab has measures in place to prevent foreigners from registering as platform workers, and will work as part of the group to share and co-develop best practices. The ministries also said that the new trilateral group will be a regular platform for the Government to support efforts to resolve issues that may require regulatory intervention. In a Facebook post, Mr Ng said that NTUC and its associations – the National Delivery Champions Association, the National Private Hire Vehicles Association, and the National Taxi Association – have successfully championed the rights of platform workers through the passage of the Platform Workers Act, which came into effect in 2025. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 黄志明 (@ Under the Act, platform operators are required to provide work injury compensation insurance for platform workers and to pay more in Central Provident Fund contributions, among other things. 'But more must be done, and quickly,' he added. This is as challenges such as foreigners doing delivery jobs illegally make it harder for platform workers to earn a stable income to support themselves and their families, he said. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
