Materia Medica Malaysiana

Medical check within a month

Foreign workers will have to undergo a mandatory medical examination within a month of their arrival here, the Cabinet has ruled.
Those found with infectious and communicable diseases will be deported immediately.
The decision by the Cabinet on Wednesday was prompted by the re-emergence of several diseases in Malaysia such as tuberculosis and leprosy.
Under the existing system, foreign workers are only required to undergo compulsory testing after staying for 12 months.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Malaysia had managed to significantly reduce the prevalence of certain diseases over the years. But there has been an increase in Malaysians suffering from the diseases recently, he noted, identifying the influx of foreign workers as a cause.
"We have to stop the transmission of diseases by foreign workers," said Dr Chua.
Out of the 716,000 foreign workers who underwent medical examination in 2003 after a year's stay in Malaysia, 18,562 had to be deported because they were infected with communicable diseases.
Among this group, 4,505 were found with Hepatitis B, 1,278 had tuberculosis, 665 with syphilis and 122 had contracted HIV.
"This is a significant figure. These workers could have transmitted diseases to locals at workplaces, houses, and other places," he added.
Furthermore, he said, the number of foreign workers being detected with diseases was increasing significantly every year.
In 2002, out of the 500,133 foreign workers tested, 9,264 were found with communicable diseases.
In 1999, 8,586 out of the 435,279 tested were found with diseases.
The Cabinet also ruled that the foreign workers will have to undergo medical examination at the Foreign Workers' Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema)'s approved panel of clinics and hospitals.
Dr Chua said the Cabinet had decided that foreign workers can do their medical examination in any clinic approved by the Government in their home country.
He said Malaysia will accept the medical certificates issued by these clinics but the workers will have to undergo another round of medical examination within a month of their arrival here.
The second medical examination for foreign workers would be on the 13th month of their stay here.