MMA calls for greater transparency in foreign worker health screening

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Association ( MMA) has called for more transparency in foreign worker medical screening by the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency ( Fomema).

MMA president Dr Mohamed Namazie Ibrahim said a sole company providing X- ray transmission and software was appointed by Fomema to provide the service, but unfortunately there was lack of transparency in the allocation of laboratories and chest x-ray facilities.

He said Fomema panel clinics had incurred more expenses to meet new requirements imposed by a third- party company appointed by Fomema in terms of purchase of software from the company costing RM5,000 and RM3 per transmission which have burdened general practitioners ( GPs) who have been providing these services since the implementation of the new work processes.

“MMA urges Fomema to open up X- ray transmission to other vendors to provide this service as competition can reduce the cost.

“The MOH (Ministry of Health) as the principal signatory of the concessionaire agreement has to step in to address the lack of transparency and solve problems faced by the general practitioners,” he said in a statement. Dr Mohamed Namazie stressed that directive for the implementation of digital xray must come from the Health Ministry with an appropriate revision of fees to cover the additional cost of purchasing digital X-ray equipment and other administrative cost.

He said the previous government awarded a concession to Fomema to monitor the health of foreign workers coming to work in the country in 1997. The concessionaire agreement, signed between the Health Ministry, Fomema and the Public Private Partnership Unit ( UKAS) which was under the Prime Minister’s Department at that time, was renewed and signed in December 2016, and has been placed under the Official Secrets Act ( OSA), despite strong objections from MMA.

The concessionaire agreement involves medical screening by selected clinic providers, laboratories for blood and urine screening for communicable diseases and chest X- rays at X- ray facilities appointed by Fomema.

He said the ownership of Fomema had changed several times over the last 21 years.

“MMA hopes the current government will address this long- standing issue as it is committed to good governance, transparency and accountability,” he added. — Bernama