EXISTING vacant buildings will be retrofitted into “healthcare hostels” for foreign healthcare workers who are new to Singapore and employed by public healthcare institutions, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and MOH Holdings announced on Monday (Aug 7).

“Such healthcare hostels are one way to better onboard healthcare workers after they first arrive here,” they said in a press statement. The latter include nurses and allied health professionals, who will be eligible for the arrangement when they first arrive in Singapore, before they subsequently transit to housing options available in the market.  

“This is part of MOH’s plans to ensure a steady flow of healthcare manpower to meet Singapore’s growing healthcare demands.” 

The hostels will adopt a co-living concept and feature amenities such as a dining area, pantry, laundry room and common social spaces. Each bedroom is expected to be shared by two occupants. 

MOH Holdings, the holding company of the city-state’s public healthcare clusters, on Monday also launched a Request for Proposal (RFP), inviting an operator to retrofit and manage the accommodation facilities at five sites. Each site is expected to house around 200 to 600 occupants, with an estimated 1,800 occupants in total.  

The five locations include one at 1A Short Street and one at 100 Ulu Pandan Road, the sites of two former student hostels; 107 Circuit Road and 36 & 38 Teck Whye Crescent, the sites of two former schools; and 60 Boundary Close, the site of a former workers’ dormitory. 

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Works are expected to commence at these sites from late-2023, and the facilities will progressively be ready from the second quarter of 2024, said MOH and MOH Holdings. 

The RFP is also seeking proposals for another 11 potential sites, including one brownfield site and 10 greenfield ones. “MOH and MOH Holdings will monitor the use of the facilities at the five sites listed above, before assessing the need to develop these additional sites,” they said.