Singapore legislation
Clause 13
Clause 13
Medical examination and treatment
(1)
When notice of an accident has been given to an employer by a workman or on his behalf the employer shall, before the expiry of five days from the time at which service of the notice has been given, offer to have the workman examined free of charge by a medical practitioner and shall pay the cost of any medical treatment and medicines for the workman as the medical practitioner considers necessary, and the workman shall submit himself for such examination; and any workman who is in receipt of a half-monthly payment under this Act shall, if required by the employer, submit himself for such examination from time to time:Provided that a workman shall not be required to submit himself for examination otherwise than in accordance with regulations made under this Act.
(2)
When medical reports are required for the purpose of this Act, the fees for such reports shall be paid by the employer.
(3)
If a workman, on being required to do so by the employer under subsection (1) or by the Commissioner, at any time refuses to submit himself for examination by a medical practitioner, his right to compensation shall be suspended until such examination takes place.
(4)
If a workman having been so required, and before the expiry of the period within which he is liable under subsection (1) to submit himself for medical examination, voluntarily leaves, without having been so examined, the place at which he was residing at the time of the accident, his right to compensation shall be suspended until he notifies his employer of his new address and offers himself for such examination.
(5)
Where a workman whose right to compensation has been suspended under subsection (3) or (4) dies without having submitted himself for medical examination as required by those subsections, the Commissioner may, if he thinks fit, direct the payment of compensation to the dependants of the deceased workman.
(6)
Where under subsection (3) or (4) a right to compensation is suspended, no compensation shall be payable in respect of the period of suspension.
(7)
Where an injured workman has refused to be treated by a medical practitioner or has failed to carry out or deliberately disregarded the instructions for his treatment, then —
where the workman is in receipt of half-monthly payments under the provisions of this Act, the Commissioner may order the suspension of such half-monthly payments until the workman accepts such treatment or has carried out such instructions, and may further, where the Commissioner is satisfied that the duration of the workman’s incapacity has been prolonged by such refusal, failure or disregard, order such half-monthly payments to be restricted to such period, calculated from the date of injury, as the disability of the workman might reasonably have been expected to have lasted for, had he accepted treatment and followed instructions; or
where the workman has suffered permanent incapacity and the Commissioner is satisfied that such incapacity has been aggravated by such refusal, failure or disregard, the Commissioner may order that compensation be paid to the workman appropriate to such incapacity as he might reasonably have been expected to have suffered if he had been regularly treated by a medical practitioner.