A 36-year-old Indian national was found dead inside a factory-converted dormitory in Jurong West earlier this week.

In a statement to Mothership, the police said that they received a call for assistance at 1:45am on Aug. 3 at a warehouse at 2 Fan Yoong Road. Inside, a 36-year-old man was found motionless, and was pronounced dead at scene by a paramedic.

Police investigations are ongoing.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told Mothership that it is aware of the incident, and added:

"MOM expresses our deepest condolences to the deceased’s family. We have informed his family members and employer, as well as the embassy.

We are also working with the worker’s employer and the Migrant Workers’ Centre to provide assistance to his family."

MOM stepping up efforts to care for migrant workers' mental health

In a statement to Mothership on Aug. 6, MOM said that it is aware of the recent spate of suicides and attempted suicides involving migrant workers.

MOM added that, based on their engagements with NGOs and the ministry's records, such incidents tend to stem from "issues that migrant workers face back home such as marital or familial issues, or unforeseen mishaps in their home countries".

The ministry stated that, due to the Covid-19 situation, migrant workers may face delays in returning to their home countries, due to the need to ensure that workers have fully recovered.

Meanwhile, MOM added that it is taking actions to ensure migrant workers' mental health is taken care of.

Taskforce "commited" to supporting migrant workers' mental health needs: Kenneth Mak

In a virtual press conference on Covid-19 on Thursday (Aug. 6), Kenneth Mak, Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, said that they are "indeed concerned about the fact that our migrant workers have been accommodated in facilities under very tight regimes" and have not been allowed to exit the dormitories.

He acknowledged that such a prolonged period of isolation could have potential adverse effects on anyone being kept in isolation with limited social interaction.

Mak said that the Inter-Agency Task Force has worked with MOM and other partners to look at how to support the welfare of migrant workers, such as helping them celebrate holidays and providing a hotline for workers to call.

He added:

"This continues to be a work in progress, so I do not pretend that work is completed, that we have a very comprehensive system of support.

But the Taskforce is committed to making sure the mental health needs of the migrant workers are looked into, supported, not just now, but as a sustainable framework that would continue in the dormitories even after the outbreak comes under control."

Top photo via Google Maps.