PUBLISHED ONOctober 11, 2026 2:30 AMBYSean LerThe Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (Oct 11) announced that it will be activating both the Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) scheme and the Haze Subsidy Scheme (HSS).
This will help Singaporeans with their haze-related medical needs given the deterioration in air quality due to transboundary haze, the ministry said in a press release on Sunday.
The move comes as Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said he is seeing a rising number of people seeking treatment for respiratory ailments as haze conditions worsen.
"I'm seeing a week-on-week uptick in the number of people visiting the EDs, the emergency departments with respiratory issues, and also more people visiting polyclinics," Ong told reporters on Sunday.
He added that the haze situation is unlikely to ease anytime soon, saying: "We're likely to see this haze condition go on for a few more weeks."
"So, given that I think more Singaporeans [are] having respiratory issues, we're going to activate our two schemes. This is the PHPC scheme and the HSS scheme," he said.
It is the latest in a series of announcements since Friday, when the Government's Haze Task Force (HTF) announced its next tier of action plans and advisories to protect the health and well-being of the public, especially vulnerable groups including the elderly, pregnant women, children, and those with chronic lung and heart diseases.
The PHPC scheme is intended to coordinate primary care responses and provide subsidised care during health alerts and emergencies.
The last time the HSS was activated was in 2015, while the PHPC network was most recently mobilised during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the scheme, eligible Singapore citizens under public assistance will enjoy fully-subsidised care, while seniors who are from the Pioneer and Merdeka generations will pay no more than $5.
Other groups of eligible Singaporeans will have their fees capped at $10.
The following groups of Singapore citizens are eligible for the subsidy at PHPCs:
"With the activation of the PHPC and HSS schemes, participating general practitioner (GP) clinics and all polyclinics can provide children, the elderly, and lower- to middle-income Singaporeans with affordable care for haze-related conditions," MOH said.
Ong said that close to 1,000 of the roughly 1,370 clinics in the PHPC network had already responded positively to the activation as of Sunday morning. He also urged Singaporeans with non-emergency respiratory conditions to seek treatment at participating clinics instead of hospital emergency departments.
"If there's no major issues, don't have to visit the emergency department. Go to a PHPC clinic. They should be able to take care of you," he said.
On Friday evening, the Government's Haze Task Force, comprising NEA and 28 Government agencies said it is prepared for the scenario of air quality reaching the very unhealthy range.
"HTF agencies stand ready to roll out the next tier of action plans and advisories to protect the health and well-being of the public, especially vulnerable groups including the elderly, pregnant women, children, and those with chronic lung and heart diseases."
It announced various measures such as the distribution of N95 masks for Singaporeans who may be more vulnerable, the opening of haze shelters should PSI cross 201, and advisories relating to preschools, schools and workplaces.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Saturday reiterated the Government's concern about public health, and said she has been in touch with her Indonesian counterpart.
The minister also revealed that Singapore has offered support in managing forest fires.
Education Minister Desmond Lee also took to Facebook on Saturday evening, reiterating that the health and well-being of students and staff remains his ministry's top priority.
He also assured parents that lessons and national examinations will continue in enclosed venues with air purifiers, and schools are ready to step up measures if needed.
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