Proposal to avoid serious health issues among NS trainees

Star: AYER HITAM (Johor): More stringent medical checks at national service camps nationwide are among the proposed measures to address health problems among trainees.
National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said every camp was equipped with qualified medical assistants to conduct such checks.
“I have brought up the matter with the programme’s director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil and he will look into ways to avoid serious health problems among trainees.
“Besides that, I want all the trainees to be honest in declaring the state of their health before entering the camps,” he told a press conference after launching the Sembrong NS Camp open day here yesterday.
He was commenting on reports of a female trainee in Kemaman, Terengganu, who recently gave birth after complaining of stomach pains.
Lee said Abdul Hadi would discuss these issues with the Health Ministry.
He said that at present, compulsory medical checks for every trainee prior to entering camp was not possible as the Health Ministry did not have enough manpower.
“The Health Ministry could not agree with the proposal for a compulsory check-up when the matter was discussed in 2004.
“However, we will revisit the matter if the need arises in the future,” he said.
On another matter, Lee said the NS committee would go to schools to explain and promote the programme to future trainees, but it would be done on a request basis.
“The future trainees, mainly Form Four and Form Five students will be better prepared mentally after attending these sessions.
“We welcome SMK and Chinese independent schools to request for such talks but we cannot accommodate all schools as we do not have enough manpower,” he said.
At the open day yesterday, Angkasawan Mejar Dr Faiz Khalid, who earlier this year was appointed as the NS programme icon, held a dialogue with the trainees.