2024 Occupational Medicine Delegation of the NUHS of Singapore

Department of Occupational Injury and Disease Service

2024.03.21

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2024 Occupational Medicine Delegation of the NUHS of Singapore

The Occupational Medicine Delegation of the National University of Singapore experienced Taiwan's determination to enact "return to work" into law for legal protection in 2024.

A delegation of 13 people from Singapore’s “National Preventive Medicine Residency” program visited the Center.

The delegation of Singapore's "National Preventive Medicine Residency" program, comprising 13 persons, visited the Center for Occupational Accident Prevention and Rehabilitation (hereinafter referred to as "the Center") on March 21. The delegation shared Singapore's "Return to Work Programme" since 2017, which is jointly operated by doctors, programme coordinators, workers and employers, with the goal of assisting workers suffering from occupational accidents to return to their original work. Compared to Singapore, where "self-initiated" applications are required for workers to receive related services, in Taiwan, the words "return to work" are directly incorporated into the law.

The National Preventive Medicine Residency programme is part of the National University Health System (NUHS) of the National University of Singapore, which began operation in 2010. There are 32 residency specialties in the system, making it the first healthcare cluster in Singapore to train public health and occupational medicine physicians. The visit was led by Mr. Xu Shi-Gui, Consultant of the Occupational Medicine Department of Singapore Central Hospital, who led a team of 12 with occupational medicine related backgrounds, and was warmly welcomed by Mr. Ho Jiune-Jye, the CEO of the Center.

CEO Mr. Ho Jiune-Jye (right) received the delegation from Singapore.

Mr. Xu Shi-Gui, Consultant of Occupational Medicine Department of Singapore Central Hospital (left)

The 2-hour exchange session focused on the treatment and rehabilitation system for workers suffering from occupational accidents between the two sides. Mr. Chen Jian-Wei, a senior resident physician at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, shared that Singapore's “Return to Work Programme” has been in place since 2017. Its primary mode of operation is that programme coordinators work with specialist physicians in occupational disease and employers to understand the conditions of workers suffering from occupational accidents and their medical support and job requirements. Together with physical therapists, occupational therapists, etc. they continue to track the progress of treatment, rehabilitation and return to work.

Mr. Chen Jian-Wei also shared a related study that after the "Return to Work Programme" was implemented, 86% of the workers counselled by National University of Singapore returned to work, and 63% of them returned to their original positions, indicating that the programme is of great help to workers suffering from occupational accidents. However, there is still room for improvement. Compared to Taiwan, where the needs for return-to-work services are directly stipulated in the law (Article 66 of the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act), in Singapore, workers’ involvements must be “self-initiated” and there is no related law.

Mr. Wu Chen-Long, Deputy CEO of the Center, shared the experience of occupational medicine physicians.

Mr. Chen Jian-Wei, a senior resident physician at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, shared information about Singapore's “Return to Work Programme”.

The delegation also visited the Northern Labor Health Service Office, which was the first time that a foreign delegation visited the agency. The Labor Health Service Centers, which have been successively established in Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern Taiwan since 2014, will be consolidated into the Center's business scope from this year (2024) and renamed to the "Labor Health Service Office" to facilitate unified management, consolidation of talents, and sharing of resources. Compared with the past, which focused on provision of counseling, the Labor Health Service Offices now concentrate on on-site services, provide tailor-made implementation measures according to the needs and characteristics of enterprises, and actively refine the labor health management into a one-stop service.

The delegation from Singapore experienced and interacted with the Labor Health Service Office on the "3-Gate" activity.

The Center invited members of the delegation to play the role of "workers in trouble" to experience and interact with the "3-Gate" activity, so as to understand the Center's determination to safeguard workers in the three aspects of prevention, protection and rehabilitation.