TAWAU – A total of 25,157 foreign workers in Tawau, Kunak and Semporna who are registered with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) are eligible to participate in its Covid-19 screening programme on December 16.
“Under the programme, 1,831 employers who made contributions for 25,157 Indonesian and Chinese foreign workers only need to pay the service fee charged by the clinics or hospitals,” Tawau Socso head Joseph Immanuel explained, when met at his office here.
Socso has appointed 25 panel clinics and private hospitals in Sabah to implement the programme. The screening, which uses the Rapid Test Kit (RTK) Antigen test approved by the Health Ministry, is limited to one test per employee.
“In Tawau, there are three panel clinics namely Chong Clinic, Dr. Priya Clinic and Mabello Tawau Clinic, while the other two are in Kunak, namely Dnar Clinic and Mabello Kunak Clinic,” he said, adding that employers are reminded to make appointments to avoid congestion.
He said employers should consult the clinics or hospitals to decide on the service fees involved.
For foreign workers who are not contributors to the body, the cost for the Covid-19 screening tests must be borne by their employers.
Immanuel said the screening programme would be carried out in a targeted manner according to the red zone localities which have high numbers of foreign workers.
The screening programme began on December 1 in Klang and Seremban, and is starting today in red zone districts in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.
On December 16, the Socso-funded programme will be conducted for the entire state of Sabah, Labuan, and other districts in Penang and Negri Sembilan. – Bernama, December 9, 2020
