Materia Medica Malaysiana

Unfit workers highest in agri sector

Based on health screenings last year, 6,500 workers or 35.2 per cent of 18,561 workers (under the sector) screened were found to be physically unfit.
The sector is followed by manufacturing with 4,623 workers (24.9 per cent), construction 3,768 (20.3 per cent), maids 2,639 (14.2 per cent) and service 1001 (5.4 per cent).
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said this in his written reply to BN Kelana Jaya member Loh Seng Kok.
Loh had wanted to know what are the types of communicable diseases brought into the country by the foreign workers from their home countries.
He had also wanted to know what steps were taken to control and monitor such diseases.
Chua said among the diseases detected among the foreign workers included Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, Syphilis and HIV.
He said the Ministry had taken steps like undertaking random medical sampling among foreign workers at five main entry points and also annual medical checks.