Two sick maids: How is health screening done?
IN JUNE last year, I took in a maid from India from a maid agency. One day in October, she told me her leg was numb and getting worse with each day. She confessed she had had a stroke back home and wanted to go back to recuperate.
Mon, Feb 04, 2008
The Straits Times
I checked with the maid agency and it claimed to know nothing about it. I checked with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and it said that as long as she passed the health screening, there was nothing it could do.
The agency provided a replacement maid from the same region. After working for a week, the new maid had a swollen foot and could hardly walk. I took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with arthritis. Instead of having the maid take care of my children and housework, I now have to take care of her. I have two school-going kids and a 71-year-old mother.
Can MOM enlighten how health screenings are done? MOM has set a quota for households to change maids. What redress do I have? Can I hold the agency responsible?
Janice Chow Suet Meng (Ms)