Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate stands at 0.97, yet delivery costs vary widely by maternal nationality. Foreign mothers married to Singaporean fathers—whose children will be Singaporean by birth—face significantly higher expenses. At KK Hospital, a normal delivery in a C Class ward costs Singaporean mothers $1,390, fully Medisave-covered. Permanent Residents pay $2,870, with most of it Medisave-claimable and $120 payable in cash. Non-resident mothers must pay more than $8,000, claiming less than $3,000 from Medisave and paying more than $5,300 in cash. The gap widens for Caesarean deliveries: Singaporeans pay $2,270, fully Medisave-covered, PRs pay nearly $5,000, of which $410 is payable in cash, and non-residents pay nearly $12,000, with about $7,300 payable in cash. Many C-sections are unplanned emergencies, compounding financial stress.
Given Singapore’s low fertility rate, it seems counterproductive to impose such steep delivery fees on families whose children are citizens from birth. Indeed, these costs send the wrong signals that Singaporean children are not welcome if their mothers are foreign.
This burden is heavier for citizen-father--foreign-mother families. The 2019 SG LEADS study found these families had the lowest per-capita income at about $1,700, compared to citizen-couples at about $2,600, and citizen-mother-foreign-father families at about $3,100. Furthermore, 17% of foreign mothers with Singaporean children still held a Long-Term Visit Pass, despite being married for an average of 8 years. The Government’s stance, as indicated in November 2024, is that “Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR can apply for an LTVP or LTVP+,” showing no defined pathway to PR.
I request the Ministry of Health to review the cost differentials for these foreign mothers of Singaporean children.
