The tap water in Singapore goes through thorough sanitary treatment, fully complies with the standards set by the World Health Organization, and is good for consumption without boiling.
Although, a medical insurance policy is not required at the entry to Singapore and is not always entered in the list of documents, necessary for visa application, it is strongly recommended to obtain medical insurance for the whole period of stay in the country.
Firstly, Singapore has no bilateral agreements with other countries, according to which the republic would guarantee rendering medical care for foreign citizens in case of need. Secondly, all health care services in Singapore are paid, and their cost is quite high. Therefore, it is advisable to obtain a valid health insurance policy with minimum insurance coverage amount of 50 000 US Dollars before going to the country. In some cases insurance with greater coverage might be required.
If you regularly take certain medications, you should take them with in the first place. At that – in order to avoid possible problems at the customs – take special prescription from a doctor confirming necessity of continued use of these medicines. Otherwise, the most needed medicines – easy analgesics, antipyretics, etc. – can be always purchased on-site. Singapore pharmacies work at hotels, supermarkets, department stores and shopping centers. Most of them are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but there are also round-the-clock ones.
Sanitary and epidemiological situation in Singapore is mostly favorable, and the vast majority of infectious diseases, typical for Southeast Asia, are either absent altogether or under control of epidemiological services. So, going to Singapore, you don’t have to worry about vaccinations and other preventive measures.
On the contrary to other Southeast Asian countries, Singapore has virtually no insects that carry severe diseases. Local authorities are actively fighting against them and treat the most visited areas with insecticides that are safe for people. Thus, strolling through the city, you don’t have to be concerned about bites of insects.
However, visiting city parks and reserves (Bukit Timah, MacRitchie and others) it is advisable to treat open skin with repellents against insects. In addition, it is better to put on clothes that fully cover arms and legs, as well as closed shoes, in such places. Similar precautions should be taken, during a trip to one of the small islands near Singapore (for example, Pulau Ubin): anti-mosquito cream is necessary there. In order to avoid troubles, try not to contact any animals, reptiles and insects in countryside.