Socso urges clinics, hospitals to charge minimum service fee for Covid-19 screening

 

The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has urged clinics and hospitals to charge a minimum service fee on employers who want to do a Covid-19 screening test on their foreign workers.

Socso Prevention, Medical and Rehabilitation Division head Dr Azlan Darus said the organisation would only bear the cost of test kits and the service fees would be set by the clinics and hospitals.

"However, Socso proposes that clinics and hospitals charge a minimum fee as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic," he said in a statement here today.

Azlan said following the announcement by Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Nov 27, Socso would only bear the cost of RTK-Antigen test kits and no longer provide screening subsidies or receive payment claims from employers, clinics or hospitals.

He said to reduce the cost of screening tests, Socso has obtained the supply of test kits directly from suppliers and distributed them to clinics and hospitals participating in the Covid-19 Screening Programme for Foreign Workers.

Apart from that, Azlan said Socso also welcomed all private healthcare facilities to participate in the programme.

"Interested clinics or hospitals can register at sihat.perkeso.gov.my. For successful registration, Socso will provide the test kit and monitor the process of the screening test.

- Bernama