Materia Medica Malaysiana

Stricter Health Checks For Indonesian Workers

KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 (Bernama) -- Health checks for Indonesian workers returning to work in Malaysia in the post-amnesty period ended have been tightened, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad said Monday.
He said the step was necessary because of doubts on the health check information issued in Indonesia and that from now every Indonesian worker must undergo a health check within 30 days of coming to Malaysia.
"The Cabinet has ordered for it to be mandatory," he told reporters after witnessing the signing of an agreement between the Health Ministry and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) to allow UIA's pharmacy students do their practical at government hospitals.
The Health Ministry was represented by its Secretary-General Datuk Ismail Adam and UIA by Acting Rector Prof Ismawi Zen.
Previously, Indonesian and other foreign workers only underwent health checks in Malaysia once a year when renewing their work permits.
"We had to wait for 12 months before detecting any disease in the worker. In that period many of us might have been infected," said Abdul Latiff.