Ms Mathavi Senguttuvan1
1Centre for Biomedical Ethics (NUS)
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 brought about a slew of public health preparedness measures across the globe. As infection rates increased, the Singaporean government initially saw fit to announce that it would foot medical bills of infected patients and provide free testing in order to promote health knowledge and care seeking behaviour. The development of vaccinations against the virus which are now being administered with increasing ubiquity, laid the foundations for vaccinated-differentiated measures (“VDMs”) enabling vaccinated individuals in accessing different commodities/services and freedoms that have been restricted since the crisis began. Over time, these measures have been gradually calibrated in accordance with the prevailing conditions. In Singapore, fully vaccinated individuals now constitute nearly 88% of the total population. And as part of a stabilisation phase, the government recently announced that all COVID-19 patients who remain unvaccinated by choice will have to pay for their own medical bills if admitted to hospitals or designated treatment facilities.
This decision presents a distinct set of concerns for individual liberties, justice, and equity by impeding specific individuals’ access to essential treatment. However, these concerns have been eclipsed by larger public health goals such as reducing burdens on healthcare resources and encouraging vaccination uptake. I posit that rescinding free treatment for unvaccinated individuals can be justified when reinforced by an ethically appropriate re-characterisation of the motivations and values behind the policy, and adequate measures to mitigate any adverse implications.
Biography:
Mathavi Senguttuvan is a Research Associate (CENTRES programme) at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore. A lawyer by training called to the Indian Bar in 2018, she holds a B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore and an LL.M. from the NUS Faculty of Law. In hopes of specialising in public health ethics, she is also pursuing a Ph.D. part time with the centre. Her research focus is on issues relating to stigma, vulnerability and health disparities rising from the infectious disease setting.