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An employer in Singapore had to fork out more than S$2,000 to cover her foreign domestic worker's medical expenses after the woman who came here to work gave birth to a baby girl, even though she did not appear pregnant.

This news came as a surprise to the employer because the results from her helper's medical examination in December 2022, which would screen for signs of pregnancy, appeared normal.

According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers of migrant domestic workers must bear all the costs of maintaining those under their charge, including any medical costs necessary.

The helper is 37 years old.

Helper went for screening alone

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, the wife of the employer, surnamed Yun (transliteration from Mandarin), shared that everything started when she hired the helper, surnamed Anggraeni, who hails from Indonesia, on Oct. 31, 2022.

The 47-year-old employer has come to believe that Anggraeni must have come to Singapore in June 2022 as she received a notification from MOM that she would need to arrange a biannual medical screening in December 2022.

However, as Yun was busy at work at the time, she asked Anggraeni to visit a clinic in Simei alone for the check-up.

When the results came back, everything appeared normal, and Anggraeni was allowed to continue working at Yun's home.

Gave birth after a sudden 'stomachache'

On Mar. 22, 2023, Anggraeni suddenly claimed that she was feeling unwell and was suffering from a stomachache, recounted Yun.

Initially, Yun did not think too much about it and only advised her helper to apply some medicated oil and rest.

However, Anggraeni's condition showed no signs of improvement, so Yun dialled 995 and sent her helper to the hospital.

To her astonishment, the next day, Anggraeni told her over the phone that she had given birth to a baby girl at the hospital.

Employer didn't notice helper was pregnant

Yun said she and her family had never noticed that their helper was actually pregnant for the past five months.

"She was relatively chubby and wore loose clothes, so we couldn't tell she was pregnant at all," the 47-year-old explained.

Yun also speculated that her helper had been hiding her pregnancy on purpose from the very beginning.

After all, Anggraeni had given birth in Indonesia previously, which means that she would be able to tell that she was pregnant from the physical changes that occurred to her body.

Helper & daughter returned to Indonesia

After Anggraeni was discharged from the hospital, she had to return to Yun's home for the night after her agency refused to let her in.

The helper apologised to her employer and admitted that the child belonged to her husband in Indonesia.

Yun said she regarded Anggraeni's confession as admission that she knew she had been pregnant since her arrival in Singapore and had been hiding it from the beginning.

After being sent to the Indonesian embassy by her agency, Anggraeni flew back to Indonesia on Apr. 8 together with her daughter.

Regret letting helper go for check-up alone

In retrospect, Yun said she suspected that Anggraeni might have tampered with her medical examination results.

Otherwise, it was not possible for her to cover up her pregnancy.

The employer also added that she regreted trusting her helper to the extent of letting the latter undergo the medical screening by herself.

"Were I to accompany her and oversee the entire process, I would have discovered her pregnancy sooner," Yun lamented.

Clinic denied any wrongdoing

According to Yun, as a result of her helper's concealment, she was forced to fork out more than S$2,000 to pay for the latter's medical bills.

She believed that Anggraeni's agency should cover the expenses as she was the victim in this case.

However, when Zaobao approached the agency, the company declined to comment further, citing that "MOM had closed the case".

The doctor who conducted the urine test for Anggraeni also told Zaobao that her test results did not indicate that she was pregnant.

As to why the maid gave birth three months later, the doctor said the clinic was uncertain as this was also the first time they had encountered such a case.

MOM response

In response to Zaobao's queries, MOM confirmed that they were aware of the incident and had contacted both Yun and Anggraeni's agency for investigation.

The ministry further clarified that, on average, 170 migrant domestic workers were found pregnant every year between 2019 and 2021.

This number is less than 0.1 per cent of the total migrant domestic workers in Singapore.

When foreign domestic workers arrive in Singapore, they would need to undergo a compulsory "settling-in programme", which would help them understand their job responsibilities, as well as the relevant terms and conditions of their work pass.

In addition, they are also informed that they are required to notify their employers immediately upon becoming aware of their pregnancy.

Top image via Lianhe Zaobao