Conduct tests at JPJ offices for medical plan to succeed

Star: PETALING JAYA: Drivers will still be able to falsify medical test results under the Road Transport Department if it handles the checks themselves, said Transport Workers Union secretary-general Datuk Zainal Rampak said.
Commenting on JPJ’s new eKesihatan system, he said more needed to be done to weed out drivers with drug or alcohol problems.
“Sad to say, I feel that the integrity of panel clinics can still be questioned,” he said yesterday.
He said if the JPJ was serious about ensuring that all commercial vehicle drivers were free of drugs and alcohol, they should appoint doctors to conduct health checks in a special place within the premises of JPJ offices.
Pan Malaysian Lorry Owners Association Er Sui See hoped the system would eradicate the possibility of forging medical reports.
“I’ve pointed out before that doctors on many occasions simply gave their signatures or stamped health check documents without even seeing the patient,” he said.
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said he was supportive of the move but wished it could have been set up earlier.
He also urged the Government to have annual refresher courses for drivers.