First batch in Socso rehabilitation programme shows good results

Star: A worker who was on 13 years' medical leave has been certified as fit to work after undergoing Socso’s Return To Work rehabilitation programme.
He is among 81 workers with medical leave more than one year long who had joined the pilot programme.
Of the number, 52 workers, or 65%, were found to be fit to rejoin the workforce. All 81 workers, who suffer from neck or back pain, have been receiving Socso benefits.
There are currently 9,000 workers on paid medical leave in the country and Socso payouts for temporary disability benefits have already exceeded RM71mil. Under such benefits, a worker receives about 80% of his salary for the duration of the medical leave.
Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn said that following the positive results of the pilot group, the Return To Work programme would soon be expanded to rehabilitate workers suffering from other treatable ailments and disabilities.
“About 65% of those who participated in the programme reported considerable reduction in neck and back pain,” he said.
The workers had undergone physical rehabilitation twice a week between February and September this year. A second group of workers are now undergoing a similar programme.
“From the initial finding, the programme has been very successful and we hope to expand it nationwide in stages, and also include workers with injuries to the limbs and head,” he added.
Dr Fong also said the project would also look into psychological rehabilitation to prepare rehabilitated workers to rejoin the workforce as some participants had not been working for years.