10 per cent of foreign workers have dangerous diseases

10 per cent suffer from diseases like TB, Hepatitis B and AIDS but even this figure is only representative of registered foreign workers.

KUALA LUMPUR: The influx of foreign immigrants has not only resulted in adverse socio-economic effects on Malaysia but has also affected national health and security.

Data gathered by the Foreign Workers’ Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) revealed that 10 out of 100 foreign workers who underwent health screening suffered from dangerous diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB), Hepatitis B and AIDS.

Fomema Chief Executive Officer Mohd Hatar Ismail said there were still foreign workers who failed their medical examination here even after undergoing health screening in their country of origin.

“This figure involves those with valid documents. Imagine those without permits: how many of them have infectious diseases?” he said.

Fomema statistics show that only 1.2 million foreign workers in Malaysia undergo medical examinations every year.

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) reportedly said there were nearly seven million foreign workers, including illegal immigrants, in the country.

Mohd Hatar said the most prevalent dangerous disease among foreign workers was TB, followed by Hepatitis B and AIDS.

“TB is an air-borne disease and the foreign workers often use public transportation such as buses and trains,” he said.

Fomema, set up in 1997, manages health screening tests for all registered foreign workers in the country.

– BERNAMA