While most of us do not hesitate to fork out cash for medical appointments, migrant workers might not have the luxury to do so, despite the severity of their afflictions.

Worried he would not be able to afford it

One migrant worker in Singapore was suffering from excruciating pain from a toothache for several days.

He initially did not know the cause of the pain, but was later informed that he would likely be required to extract the tooth.

The worker was reluctant to visit the dentist as he was worried he would be unable to afford the costs of the procedure.

He subsequently sought help from ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR), a local community initiative that supports migrant workers.

IRR put out a call for help and was then able to find a kind dentist willing to reduce the cost of the surgery to only S$100.

The surgery, which turned out to involve a wisdom tooth, typically amounts to around S$1,000.

Two days later, the worker's pain and discomfort was gone, and according to IRR, he was able to finally have a good night's sleep.

Here is the worker, relieved and satisfied, giving IRR an update on his condition.

IRR reiterated that no migrant worker that approaches them for help is ever turned away, and called for dentists willing to offer free dental care to migrant workers.

IRR said:

"Migrant workers don’t have ready access to a lot of things we take for granted such as going to a dentist for tooth ache. They can’t afford the charges themselves on wages of $18 a day or whatever they earn, and many are scared to even tell their bosses for fear of repercussions from the extra cost. These situations make them so vulnerable which is why kindness from the community can go a long way."

You can read IRR's full post here: