Let down by flawed system

I AM in a predicament and no one can help me. In November 2015, my 62-year-old husband and I were preparing to go to work when he suffered a stroke in the right hemisphere of his brain. We quickly went to the nearest hospital (Hospital Seberang Jaya) where he was warded for eight days. The doctor told me it was a massive stroke and he might not pull through.

This was only the beginning of our problems. My husband lived but suffered from post-stroke epilepsy several times. We were in and out of hospital.

He was unable to stand in the first six months and was given two months’ medical leave because he couldn’t return to his work as a van driver. He had to resign in the end.

With no children, I became the sole income earner and also his primary caregiver. To take care of him, I had to cut down my working hours and now work part-time. I go to work in the mornings and pay a neighbour to keep an eye on him.

Given our situation, I was advised to seek assistance from Socso and the Welfare Department (JKM). As we are both elderly persons who continued to work past the retirement age and my husband had become immobile, I sincerely hoped for any kind of assistance available at that point.

Hopeful, we approached Socso Seberang Jaya and attended an interview as required. My husband had been working till the day he suffered the stroke, which meant he had been paying monthly contributions. It came as a shock to us when we were told that he was not qualified to claim or receive any support from Socso.

Firstly, we were told that claims were only valid for accidents but not for stroke. Since stroke is known as a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) which certainly affects an employee’s ability to work, we are disappointed that Socso refuses to recognise it as such.

Secondly, we were told that Socso does not cover workers aged above 60. We were not offered any further support or given any recommendations on what we could do.

We then turned to the Welfare Department. Here, we were told that we do not qualify for financial assistance because my salary is above RM800 and we own a lowcost flat. We also did not qualify for “bantuan pesakit kronik terlantar” as my husband is immobile but not bedridden.

I believe the poverty line income of RM800 is too low and needs to be updated to reflect the current median income levels. Does the Welfare Department consider the plight of a single-income family? The cost of hiring a carer will amount to RM3,000 a month while the cost of a domestic worker can be RM1,500. As I cannot afford these luxuries, I would have to give up my job completely to care for my husband full-time. Perhaps when we are both unemployed, we would finally qualify for the RM300 financial assistance, which would still be grossly inadequate to support us both!

Moreover, JKM refuses to register my husband as an OKU as we were told that stroke is not a disability. We have been told that they will reconsider only after three years if my husband’s condition does not improve. I am very disappointed that disability registration works as such; to put it crudely, if you were immobile for two years, you would not receive any support for that period of time and would have to fend for yourself. If you do end up being immobile for the rest of your life due to stroke, you do not receive support in the first three years. I find this very unreasonable. Shouldn’t JKM provide support when it is needed and review the level of support given annually? If my husband’s condition does improve in three years, we would gladly accept less support by then!

It has been almost three years since my husband’s stroke. He is still unable to stand or move around independently and I cannot foresee a better time ahead. The welfare system is clearly flawed. As Malaysians, we sincerely hope the new government will pay more attention to improving its various welfare and protection systems. I hope the system can one day ensure that the wellbeing of all citizens is taken care of so no one in a similar predicament would have to experience what we are going through now. CH’NG SIM OON Seberang Perai