Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Verification of Inmates’ Public Health Records During Admission

Question:

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Singapore Prison Service routinely verifies the mental or physical health of an inmate at the time of admission against the inmate’s public hospital records.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1.   All inmates undergo health screening upon admission to prisons. As part of the screening process, the Prison Medical Officer will refer to the National Electronic Health Records, to check the inmate’s pre-existing health conditions. This will include mental health conditions. The Prison Medical Officer will also check the National Immunisation Registry for the inmate’s vaccination records.

2.   In addition to checks done by the Prison Medical Officer against available medical records, the inmate will also be required to complete a screening questionnaire. This is for the Prison Medical Officer to gather information on his past medical history and mental wellbeing, amongst others. The Prison Medical Officer will also carry out a physical examination to assess the inmate’s health and if the inmate has any urgent medical conditions or is suspected to have any infectious disease.