(Joint response by Central Provident Fund Board, Housing & Development Board, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Social and Family Development)
You may have come across an online article by The Online Citizen (TOC) on Ms Sua Li Li (identified as "Ms Soo"). TOC omitted to mention that several government agencies are actively supporting Ms Sua, which Shin Min Daily News reported on 5 Dec 2019.
In 2011, Ms Sua was admitted to NUH for suspected lupus. NUH advised her repeatedly that further investigations were necessary for a proper diagnosis. Ms Sua rejected medical advice and insisted on being discharged. NUH tried to arrange for follow-up appointments but was unsuccessful.
Since Nov 2019, Ms Sua has been visiting Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH). On evaluation of her circumstances, KTPH's medical social worker informed Ms Sua that all her medical expenses at KTPH will be fully covered using MediFund.
From 19 Nov 2019, CPFB was unable to contact Ms Sua until she returned from her overseas trip. It has since advised Ms Sua that her appeal to withdraw her CPF on medical grounds will be re-assessed once her doctor is able to certify that she meets the medical criteria.
Ms Sua has a daughter pursuing a diploma at Singapore Polytechnic. She receives government bursaries which cover her annual course fees fully and some of her living expenses. If she pursues an undergraduate education in a publicly-funded university in future, she will also be eligible for a range of financial assistance schemes.
Upon receiving an appeal from Ms Sua's MP, HDB has been advising her on options to manage her housing instalments. These include renting out the spare bedroom in her 4-room flat or right-sizing to a smaller flat. HDB will continue to assist her.
Ms Sua was previously not eligible for ComCare assistance because she had savings to tap on. Following her recent visit to the Social Service Office (SSO) at Yishun, her request for financial assistance is being reviewed. The SSO will ensure she has the means to cope with daily expenses and has also offered to link her up with a Family Service Centre for emotional support.
In the meantime, grassroots volunteers have also visited Ms Sua to render support.
