Health Ministry clarifies COVID-19 Resilience Medal criteria amid claims of front-liners not receiving awards
Instagram post alleges some healthcare professionals being left out of award list, MOH says every nomination requires justification
SINGAPORE — A week after media reports came out on Singapore COVID-19 front-liners putting up their national medals for online sale, an Instagram post surfaced of disgruntled healthcare workers claiming they have not received the medals despite serving during the pandemic.
The Ministry of Health has since responded, saying in a media statement to Yahoo Southeast Asia on Thursday (21 December) that its approach in conferring the COVID-19 Resilience Medals (CRMs) was to be as inclusive as possible, with no quotas set, while ensuring that standards are met and the process is rigorous.
"We recognise that notwithstanding this rigorous process, not everyone who has contributed to the fight against COVID-19 are awarded the COVID-19 Resilience Medal. That is why we always emphasise that awards to leaders and organisations are always received of everyone who worked in the teams," MOH said in its statement.
"We want to put on record our thanks to all who have made contributions and sacrifices to keep Singapore safe. It was indeed a whole-of-society effort that has enabled Singapore to emerge stronger from the pandemic."
A total of about 99,000 front-liners and 800 teams were honoured with the CRMs and certificates since last year.
Instagram post expresses dismay over alleged omissions
The Instagram post, put up under the moniker "thehonesthealthcareworker" and written in the form of an open letter to Singapore's health minister Ong Ye Kung, had expressed dismay over the alleged omission of some healthcare professionals from the list of CRM awardees.
"While others were selling their medals, we never received ours. Our names were missed out on the list of awardees even though we served with our colleagues in the COVID wards from the very beginning," the post stated.
The post also detailed the healthcare workers' roles in various capacities, highlighting their direct involvement in patient care within pandemic wards. "We are doctors who served in the pandemic isolation wards. We are allied health professionals that went into the pandemic wards to provide rehabilitation to patients with COVID," the post wrote.
The post also emphasised the lack of knowledge about the nomination process or the criteria for qualification. Amid the post's plea for acknowledgment, the writer of the post clarified that the healthcare workers aren't seeking additional monetary rewards.
"All we wish for is to be recognised and remembered for the sacrifices we made," the post said. "To take our rightful place on the list alongside our colleagues. So that our children will find our names when they look back one day and know that we served our country and did our duty when Singapore needed us most.
"For all we've done, we deserve to be remembered."
When contacted by Yahoo Southeast Asia, the Instagram account owner - who declined to give his name - replied in a text message that among the healthcare workers who did not receive the CRMs, one had left a public hospital for a private one in the middle of last year, while another left her hospital job on the award submission month.
"It can’t be that one (worker) in the same department, who did the same thing on the same day, did not get (the medal), while his colleagues did." the account owner added.
MOH clarifies the criteria for COVID-19 Resilience Medal nominations
In response to the post, MOH outlined three areas for eligibility for the CRM. In general, the individual who receives the medal must have, on a sustained basis during the pandemic:
Managed the public health crisis on the frontlines,
Supported frontline operations, such as vaccination, testing, managing dorms or recovery facilities;
Managed the consequences of COVID-19 on Singapore's economy, supply chains or social cohesion.
From October 2022 to March this year, public and private healthcare institutions as well as industry partners involved in addressing COVID-19 were asked to submit their nominations to the ministry based on these criteria.
MOH said the submissions required justification for each nominee, and the nominating institutions needed to evaluate the nominees' consistent management of exceptionally high workloads due to the pandemic.
"The list of awardees was published in the Government Gazette on the Prime Minister's Office website on 31 May. From 31 May to end August, MOH received and reviewed numerous appeals for the COVID-19 Resilience Medal from the healthcare sector, and as a result, more awardees were added to the list following their appeal in the spirit of being inclusive," the ministry stated.
For awardees who have yet to collect their medals, the ministry said that their respective healthcare institutions and agencies will reach out to arrange for them to collect their medals.
In response to MOH's statement, the Instagram account owner asked if the ministry would set up a proper channel for excluded healthcare workers to come forward to "take their rightful place alongside their colleagues".
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