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The programme will be expanded to cover a wider range
of injuries, including those related to heart, vision, hands and legs, unlike
the pilot project, which was limited to workers suffering from musculo-skeletal
related injuries.
<P>Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn
said Socso’s pilot project, started in 2005, involved 127 patients, 10 of
whom completed it and 49 returned to work. </P><P>“This success has convinced
Socso that the programme should be implemented on a larger scale,” he said
at the launch of the programme here yesterday. </P><P>He said the programme would
be carried out in the Klang Valley in the first three years to help insured workers
with employment injuries to return to work and provide social security to them
and their families. </P><P>He said the programme, which would integrate physical
and vocational rehabilitation, would later be extended to other regions approved
by the Socso board. </P><P>Dr Fong said the ministry had requested Socso to apply
the case management concept similar to that being used by the Commonwealth Rehabilitation
Services of Australia. </P><P>He said Socso had recently sent two senior officials
to Australia for training. </P><P>Socso, he said, had also recruited five case
managers of various backgrounds, including rehabilitation consulting, counselling,
human resources, industrial relations and benefits assessment to manage the programme
systematically and efficiently. </P><P>“Their role is to manage the cases
of employment injuries and diseases, giving the insured their full support and
identifying suitable rehabilitation services provided by Socso, with the objective
of enabling them to return to work.” </P><P>Dr Fong said Socso had identified
10 service providers who will work closely with the organisation to provide the
Return to Work rehabilitation treatment facilities for the insured. </P><P>Later,
at a press conference, Dr Fong said Socso had allocated RM1.5mil for the programme
yearly, which is enough to cater for 300 workers.</P><P><I>Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/16/nation/16577619&sec=nation</I>
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