Health, vaccinations and medical care in Singapore

Excellent and expensive

• Singapore's hospitals are among the best in the world, and the private ones are priced accordingly.
• A straightforward emergency department visit runs into hundreds of Singapore dollars, and an admission into thousands.
• Comprehensive travel insurance is essential, and it should cover evacuation if you are travelling on into the region.
• Public hospital emergency departments are cheaper than private and still charge foreigners substantially more than residents.
• Pharmacies, mostly Guardian and Watsons, are everywhere. Pharmacists are well trained and many common medicines are available without prescription.

Dengue is the one to take seriously

• Dengue circulates year round and Singapore has recurring outbreaks despite formidable mosquito control.
• The Aedes mosquito bites during the day, especially early morning and late afternoon. Repellent in the morning, not just at night.
• The NEA publishes a live cluster map. Check whether your neighbourhood is in an active cluster.
• Symptoms are high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes and joint pain. See a doctor rather than waiting it out, and do not take ibuprofen or aspirin if dengue is suspected.
• Zika and chikungunya also occur at much lower rates.

The easy parts

• Tap water is safe to drink straight from the tap and meets WHO guidelines. Carry a bottle and refill it; buying bottled water here is pure waste.
• Hawker centre food is safe. Stalls are graded and inspected, and the hygiene grade is displayed. This is street food with a regulator.
• No vaccinations are required unless you are arriving from a yellow fever risk country, in which case a certificate is mandatory.
• Heat exhaustion is the commonest visitor problem. Slow down, drink more than you think, and use the air-conditioned malls as the locals do.

Medicines you cannot bring

• Singapore controls some medicines that are ordinary elsewhere. Sleeping tablets, strong painkillers, codeine preparations and some ADHD medication need prior approval from the Health Sciences Authority.
• Apply for approval before you travel if you take anything in these categories, and carry the prescription and a doctor's letter.
• Cannabis-derived products including CBD oil are illegal, whatever the law says where you bought them.
• This is the single most common way ordinary travellers get into serious trouble here.