5.1 million to gain from Socso free check-up

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) will provide a one-time free medical check-up for contributors aged 35 and above.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, who announced this yesterday, said Socso hoped to provide more benefits to its 5.1 million contributors.
He also called on employers to notify Socso of injuries sustained by their workers so that the processing of compensation could be speeded up.
"We have trained more than 900 government doctors to carry out examinations for workers seeking compensation for injuries.
"At the same time, our panel doctors will help speed up rehabilitation of patients so that they can return to work as soon as possible," he said after a three-hour briefing by Socso officials at its headquarters in Jalan Ampang here.
Present were Dr Subramaniam's deputy, Datuk Noraini Ahmad, and ministry secretary-general Datuk Thomas George.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) welcomed the free medical check-up.
MMA president Datuk Dr Khoo Kah Lin said medical check-ups should be conducted more frequently with age.
"Just like a car, the older it gets the more frequent servicing it needs.
"Older people may require not only more frequent medical check-ups but more stringent ones, too. This can be costly," he said.
Dr Khoo said medical check-ups should be conducted from young so that abnormalities could be detected early.
He added that as people today were more health conscious, Socso could undertake more programmes to educate workers on health risks and remedies.
MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasekeran said Socso's free check-up was a good start.He also hoped Socso would make the free check-ups available more frequently to workers exposed to health hazards, such as those working in mines, mills, quarries and factories dealing with chemicals, electronics and asbestos.