S$15,000 sign-on bonus for fresh Singapore nursing grads, hundreds of hospital beds added

The measures aim to tackle healthcare demands that have shot up post-pandemic and are expected to continue rising. - ST

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News): Nursing manpower will get a major boost and hundreds more hospital and rehabilitative care beds will be added by the end of 2023 to alleviate the capacity crunch at public hospitals.

The broad swathe of measures to help the sector cope with crowded wards and long waiting times includes attracting new nurses with a S$15,000 sign-on bonus, as well as expanding rehabilitation or step-down care beds for those who no longer need acute care and may be waiting for a nursing home bed.