GEORGE TOWN: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) is looking into expanding its rehabilitation services by introducing more centres across Malaysia.
Its Chief Executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said the Tun Abdul Razak Rehabilitation Centre in Melaka has been overutilised, to the point that injured workers were given a three-month waiting period before being allowed to use the facilities.
“In the pipeline, we will have one (rehab centre) each in Klang Valley, Terengganu and Johor and we are even looking forward to get shopping malls to come up with rehab centres,” he said during a Q&A session after a special public lecture at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), here.
He pointed out the main concern from their stakeholders is the cost of a new rehab centre and the value they would receive in return.
He expressed confidence that the investment towards the rehab centre would be worthwhile as Socso values the workers and strongly believed that they would continue to contribute to society after rehabilitation.
“Even in the worst case scenario, they will at least be independent, because once workers became disabled, the entire family would also be disabled, and this is the reality,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Mohammed Azman held a special public lecture titled ‘Rehab and Return to Work: How the Nation Values Our Workers?’ at USM Conference Hall.
The lecture focused on the ecosystem of Socso’s rehabilitation and Return to Work (RTW) programme for injured or disabled workers, as well as changing mindsets regarding Socso as the final stop for pension or compensation.
He said that between 2009 and February 2020, 30,110 insured persons have returned to work under the RTW programme.
“On average, every RM1 spent by Socso on the RTW programme will benefit each worker an average of RM161.16,” he added. – Bernama
