by S BIRRUNTHA / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

FGV Holdings Bhd has set aside a health facility allocation of RM5.6 million per year for its 28,000 migrant workers to fulfil its commitment in ensuring all employees working on its plantations have access to health facilities.

The allocation allows FGV migrant workers to seek outpatient treatment and undergo health check-ups at nearby health clinics.

FGV will also bear medical and treatment costs for employees who need long-term hospital treatment due to accidents inside and outside the workplace or for other chronic and non-chronic diseases. Its group plantation sector CEO Syed Mahdhar Syed Hussain said FGV had taken proactive steps to build clinics on its operating plantations under the guidance of the Ministry of Health to provide faster access to health services, especially in rural areas.

“To date, RM350,000 has been allocated to build five clinics on plantations located in Aring (Kelantan), Selendang 3, Lepar Utara 11 and Kechau 2 (Pahang) and Sahabat 36 (Sabah), where access to nearby health clinic facilities is limited.

“Every migrant worker who serves on FGV’s plantations also receives full protection under the Employees’ Social Security Act of the Social Security Organisation (Socso), especially for claims of injury,” he said in a statement yesterday.

In compliance with the law, the Socso contribution also enables its plantation workers to take advantage of various emergency treatment facilities and compensation in the event of an accident at work.

FGV also stated that it bears the cost of flight tickets to send migrant workers back to their home countries if the workers would like to seek further treatment there.

In the event of death or loss of life in service, the group bears the cost of repatriating the body of the employee to the country of origin.

As an initiative to facilitate migrant workers to undergo health screening examinations, FGV is currently in talks with private medical practitioners with joint membership of the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema).

This is to establish screening facilities at the FGV One-Stop Centre, in which the medical practitioner will handle all applications with Fomema.

With this facility, all arrangements related to Fomema for new employees, as well as contract extensions, can be carried out in an orderly manner, while reducing transportation costs to the health screening venue.

This medical facility can also be utilised by settlers and residents of the surrounding area.