Free medical screening for some Socso members

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Some Socso contributors will be eligible for free medical screening from January, and could even receive the appropriate care.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said the Pro Health Programme was for Social Security Organisation members who did not receive Socso benefits or pensions.
Details of the scheme, such as which age groups can benefit, are being worked out by Socso, which has 4.6 million active members.
Fong said that after the success of the central region's return-to-work programme for injured and disabled workers, it would be expanded to Malacca and Penang by next month.
He said two-thirds of the 312 workers who underwent rehabilitation that started in January had returned to work.
He said the programme's success hinged on the five care managers who worked with all parties concerned: the workers, their families, the employers and rehabilitation centres.
Five more care managers will be employed for the extension of the scheme as one manager can handle only 50 cases.
Fong said he was happy with the 66 per cent success rate of the programme, comparing it with Australia's 30 per cent and Scandinavia's 10 per cent.
He also announced a cabinet decision that those who recruited foreign workers needed to first advertise and register the vacancies on the electronic labour exchange for at least two weeks. Before they could recruit foreigners, they must show they had tried to hire local workers, he added.
This will give the government a clearer idea of jobs available in the different sectors, such as plantations, services, manufacturing and construction.
He said while foreign estate workers may be necessary as locals were not keen on such jobs, the other sectors needed to improve their productivity.