MMA rejects 365-day window for health screening of foreign workers
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called on the Health Ministry and Human Resources Ministry to insist that health screenings for foreign workers be done within 30 days of entering the country.
This came after the decision made by the Home Ministry to allow a window of 365 days for the health screening of foreign workers coming in.
Its president Dr Koh Kar Chai (above) questioned...
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called on the Health Ministry and Human Resources Ministry to insist that health screenings for foreign workers be done within 30 days of entering the country.
This came after the decision made by the Home Ministry to allow a window of 365 days for the health screening of foreign workers coming in.
Its president Dr Koh Kar Chai (above) questioned the decision, which he described as “disturbing.”
“Was proper consultation done with public health experts on this decision which can have an impact on the health of the country’s population?
“As we will be expecting a large number of foreign workers into the country to address shortages in manpower, we could perhaps consider extending the period for the Fomema (Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency) health screening to 60 days.
“A one-year window for screening is too long and will increase the risk of infectious diseases being imported into the country,” he said in a statement today.
As Malaysia is reeling from the havoc caused by Covid-19, a shortage of workers threatens the country’s economic recovery.
Despite lifting a Covid-19 freeze on recruiting foreign workers in February, Malaysia has not seen a significant return of migrant workers due to slow government approvals and protracted negotiations with Indonesia and Bangladesh over worker protections.
Urgent need for workers
Last week, Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono was reported to have said that an official letter was sent to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan on July 12 regarding Indonesia’s decision to temporarily stop sending workers to Malaysia.
While the country is in urgent need of workers now, Koh argued that the government should not allow an additional burden, which he claimed may negate the efforts of the home minister.
“A resurgence in cases of tuberculosis and even leprosy has already been noted, and we have previously detected imported cases from foreign workers during the screening process, which we should also be concerned about.
“Ignoring these other threats to the health of our population can also potentially put a strain on our healthcare system if diseases go undetected and spread in the community,” he said.
Koh urged the Home Ministry to revert to the 30 days for the health screening or an extension to 60 days if there is a need.
“The private GPs registered with Fomema are well placed and have the capacity to carry out these mandatory tests.
“After two and a half years of the pandemic, we should by now understand the importance of safeguarding the health of the population against infectious diseases,” he said.
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