SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (February 17), the primary day of the Lunar New 12 months celebrations, Well being Minister Ong Ye Kung introduced that round 23,000 Group Care Organisations (CCOs) workers shall be receiving at the very least a 7% pay enhance.
Staff on this sector present care to sufferers in varied settings equivalent to nursing properties, lively ageing centres, and senior care centres.
Mr Ong made this announcement at a doorstop interview throughout a go to to Alexandra Hospital, because the minister and different political workplace holders historically go to healthcare services in the course of the first day of the Chinese language New 12 months.
He stated that final yr, in the course of the hospital go to, when he introduced a rise within the salaries of healthcare employees equivalent to nurses, pharmacists, and different professionals and workers within the trade, one other group requested if they might equally obtain a pay bump.
“As we speak, I wish to make some bulletins about that, and that’s for our Group Care Organisations (CCOs) workers. I visited St Luke’s Hospital this morning and met with a number of of them,” stated Mr Ong, including that the Well being Ministry shall be issuing up to date wage pointers for CCO workers within the subsequent few months.
This needs to be prepared for implementation by the top of 2025 or early 2026, he added, asking CCO workers for some endurance as all the pieces is ironed out.
He additionally expressed the hope that extra individuals would be part of the healthcare sector because the Well being Ministry endeavours to make healthcare a beautiful profession in varied settings.
Mr Ong acknowledged that the rise within the salaries of CCO workers will imply increased working prices for CCOs, however added that the federal government will help the initiative. A primary tranche of S$100 million has been allotted for the elevated salaries of CCOs.
The Well being Minister famous that he introduced in 2025 that the subsidy for long-term care can be elevated.
“On the similar time, as I’ve introduced final yr, we’re additionally growing the subsidy for long-term care, which is principally what the CCOs do, by way of nursing properties, Senior Care Centres (SCC), in addition to Residence Private Care (HPC). These kinds of companies are what CCOs present. We’re additionally growing the subsidies for these companies for Singaporeans, and that can come into impact in July this yr,” he added. /TISG
Learn additionally: 37,000 public healthcare employees to obtain pay rises from mid-2025; 26,000 nurses to get smaller increments
