00:00Singapore has rolled out subsidized medical treatment for haze-related illnesses
00:04as air pollution worsens across part of Southeast Asia.
00:08The move comes after air quality monitor IQ Air
00:11ranked Singapore as the world's most polluted city on Monday.
00:18Under the scheme, eligible Singaporeans will pay no more than $10 Singapore dollars
00:22for treatment or $5 for those aged 67 and above.
00:26The subsidies cover haze-related conditions including bronchitis, eye infections and respiratory illnesses.
00:33Singapore last activated the scheme in 2015
00:35when forest fires in Indonesia sent thick haze across the region for weeks, disrupting schools and flights.
00:42This time, the haze is coming from fires on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo
00:47with strong El Nino conditions making the fires worse.
00:50Meanwhile, schools in parts of Malaysia were still closed on Monday due to the haze
00:55while Singapore has not announced a nationwide school closure.
