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Oral Answer by Mr Zaqy Mohamad Minister of State for Manpower to PQ on Return to Work Programme

Workplace safety and health

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2070 OF 2020 FOR SITTING ON 7 APRIL

QUESTION NO. 3538 FOR ORAL ANSWER

MP: Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye

To ask the Minister for Manpower since the launch of the Return to Work (RTW) programme in 2017 (a) whether all public hospitals have come on board the RTW programme; (b) how many injured workers have participated in the RTW programme; and (c) how many workers have been successfully placed back to work.

Answer

  1. The Return-to-Work (or RTW) programme helps workers with traumatic work injuries return to work as soon as medically suitable. As part of the programme, the worker undergoes occupational or physio-therapy, while the hospital assists the employer to make workplace adjustments to support the injured worker’s return and long-term employability.
  2. RTW services are available at seven public hospitals.  They represent all the public hospitals with Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments, where ambulances send acute injury cases to.  The exception is KK Hospital, whose A&E department caters to women & children.
  3. As of end Dec 2019, 1922 injured workers have participated in the programme. About 95% (1832 out of 1922) of the participants have been successfully placed back to work. This was an improvement from around 75% remaining employed before the RTW programme.
  4. We have also received positive feedback about the programme. Some workers shared with us that their supervisors are more supportive after the hospitals’ RTW coordinator explained how the worker can remain productive post-injury.