Report: Private clinics yet to receive test kits for Socso Covid-19 screening

Private clinics have yet to receive test kits from the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to carry out the mandated Covid-19 screening for foreign workers, according to a doctors’ group.

Health industry news site Code Blue quoted Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah who questioned the enforcement of the conditional Movement Control Order beginning May 4 without available rapid serology tests, also known as antibody tests, to screen the workers.

According to the report, Raj Kumar said the antibody tests must be done twice within a week, which means that the earliest workers can get a certificate of fitness is on May 13 if general practitioner (GP) clinics receive the kits today.

"We are getting thousands of calls every day from employers and no one knows what’s happening.

"Ministers are making announcements without getting confirmation on issues. On the ground, everyone is anxious – doctors, employers, and employees.

"We want someone to tell us when we will get the kits," he was further quoted as saying.

Rather than imposing on employers to pay for their foreign workers’ screenings, Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) Shamsuddin Bardan yesterday pointed to Socso's Prihatin Screening Programme (PSP Perkeso) for employees, including foreign workers, in the sectors allowed to resume operations during the MCO.

Raj Kumar, however, said it was unclear if the Socso panel clinics – numbering about 3,500 nationwide – would be reappointed to do Covid-19 screenings or if they needed to reapply.

Meanwhile, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Association Malaysia president Dr Steven Chow reportedly said its members in the peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak have yet to receive any test kits from Socso.

According to Code Blue, Chow said his members have been unable to access Socso’s website for further information on the screening programme.

"To our knowledge, there is no readily available stock of approved test kits in the country and the earliest supply is expected only in mid-May.

"Mass testing cannot commence until the test kits are in hand in the clinics," Chow was quoted as saying.

With the enforcement of the conditional MCO, many businesses are eager to resume operations, but Chow said each worker can only begin work after receiving two negative antibody tests in a week and the rush for testings could spark a major logistical problem.

"Our recommendation is that workers be examined by their individual company doctor.

"The examining doctor should be allowed to test using point of care rapid antigen test and if negative, they should be allowed to commence work," he said.

Code Blue reported that the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) previously said Socso would procure rapid antibody tests and pay GP clinics RM60 to screen workers for Covid-19.

According to the report, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Health Ministry recommended the RT-PCR and antigen rapid test kits (RTK) as the first choice for testing migrant workers, as it enables health authorities to act immediately if test results are positive.

"The use of RTK antibody is the second choice as it requires two tests over a seven-day period, delaying immediate intervention measures but the advantage is that it allows us a snapshot of the sero-epidemiology of the working population," he said.

"We only use test kits that are evaluated by IMR (Institute of Medical Research) or MKAK (National Public Health Laboratory)."

Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday said the government had taken its cue from Singapore and ordered mass screening of foreign workers in the country to prevent new Covid-19 clusters.

Although the initial call was for all foreign workers to be tested, Ismail said the first phase would involve migrant workers at construction sites in Selangor and the Federal Territories. - Mkini