KUCHING, Feb 28 ― The Human Resources Ministry will discuss with the Sarawak government for cooperation to establish a Social Security Organisation (Socso) Rehabilitation Centre in the state, said its Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong.

"This ministry is indeed planning to add three more rehabilitation centres (throughout the country) in the next five years. And Sarawak is one of the regions that are welcomed to cooperate (with us) in realising this plan.

"The ministry is ready to hold further discussions regarding the location, current needs and cooperation with the Sarawak government, since the development of this rehabilitation centre involves a large cost,” he said during Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Sim was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem (GPS-Serian) regarding plans by the ministry to establish and build a Socso Rehabilitation Centre in Sarawak to facilitate patients who need to undergo rehabilitation treatment.

Sim said Socso currently has a rehabilitation centre in Melaka that has been operating since 2014, while an upcoming rehabilitation centre in Ipoh, Perak is in the development phase and another proposed in Terengganu is now in the design planning phase.

For Sarawak, he said Socso at the moment has an understanding with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) to provide rehabilitation programmes at the Unimas Teaching Hospital since 2022.

He revealed that among the facilities provided at Unimas are consultation by Rehabilitation Physician, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Neurological Rehabilitation, Neurological Rehabilitation with Neuromodulation Therapy, Speech and language communication assessment, Speech Therapy, Cardio Respiratory Rehabilitation, Sleep Study, Neuro-robotics and Cybernics Rehabilitation Programme.

Based on Socso’s statistics, a total of 18 cases have been referred to Unimas from August 2022 until January 31, 2024,. Of that number, a total of nine people have returned to work, eight people have completed rehabilitation treatment and one is still undergoing rehabilitation treatment.

"This noble initiative benefits the local community, especially Socso contributors to get rehabilitation treatment at the Unimas campus,” said Sim. ― Borneo Post