Covid-19: Socso pays benefit to 25 in Kedah who contracted virus at work

 

PENDANG (Bernama): Twenty-five individuals in Kedah who contracted Covid-19 at the workplace have received benefit payments under the Employment Injury Scheme of the Social Security Organisation (Socso a.k.a Perkeso).

Deputy Human Resource Minister Awang Hashim said each was paid 90% of their respective salaries according to the number of days they were treated at the hospital until they were confirmed negative for the virus.

"The 25 Socso contributors were eligible to receive payments under the scheme after an investigation found that they really contracted Covid-19 at the workplace, and there was one case we rejected as the contributor did not catch the infection at work.

"Besides that, another case is under investigation.

"All these cases involve infections from the Sungai cluster, Telaga cluster and Tembok cluster recorded in the state, ” he told reporters after officiating Socso's Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SESSS) briefing here on Friday (Dec 25).

He said to ensure that payments were made only to eligible contributors, Socso conducted a detailed investigation, besides working with the Health Ministry to identify cases of infection at the workplace.

Meanwhile, Awang said Socso had paid more than RM2mil to 597 contributors who were eligible for benefits under SESSS with more than half of the recipients receiving Temporary Disability Benefit payments.

"The benefits are paid to self-employed insured persons during the sick leave period confirmed by the doctor and must be at least four days including the day of the accident, ” he said.

Awang, who is also the Member of Parliament for Pendang, suggested that self-employed people contribute under the scheme for self and family protection in the event of an accident.

"We hope those who are self-employed take advantage of the SESSS because so far their involvement is still low.

"Socso will also intensify campaigns and promotions to attract more individuals to contribute to SESSS because of its many benefits, ” he said. – Bernama