KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Many workers in Malaysia avoid health screenings even when offered for free, prompting calls for employers to consider making such checkups mandatory.
Dr Azwan Abdullah Al-Hadi, general manager of the health, safety and environment portfolio at Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd, said that despite the availability of free medical screenings, many employees do not take advantage of them.
“I’ve been in primary care for a long time, and although screenings are free, many won’t go for them. Whether it’s through Socso or Peka B40, they are aware, but they just don’t show up,” Dr Azwan told a forum on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the workplace at the Industry Leadership Summit 2024: The Future of Health in the Malaysian Workplace, organised by the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy last October 10.
He noted that while participation in health screenings seems to vary by race – with ethnic Chinese employees having a higher rate of participation, while Malay and ethnic Indian employees tend to be more hesitant – the key factor remains awareness, education, and the role of companies in promoting employee health.
“As doctors, we always want to do more, but companies need to not only encourage health screenings but, at times, mandate them,” Dr Azwan said. “If companies take the time to organise these programmes and employees don’t show up, there should be consequences.”
He suggested that companies could implement policies that make health checkups a mandatory part of their workforce management, as early detection of illnesses benefits employers by preventing long-term health issues that could affect productivity.
“It has to be a two-way effort between employers and employees because, in the end, employers benefit from early detection and screening,” he said.
Dr Azwan said that pre-employment medical check-ups are often the only time companies have detailed knowledge of an employee’s health. “After that, it’s usually private and confidential, and we lose track of their health. Regular check-ups once a year or every two years would allow us to re-engage with employees about their health.”
“The human resources department, occupational safety, and top management need to lead the way in destigmatising health check-ups so employees feel comfortable participating,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira suggested that companies rethink how they incentivise employees on health.
“I’ve been told that if somebody takes no MC (medical leave) the whole year, they’ll get a reward. Why don’t companies change that policy and reward someone who goes for a medical check-up instead? Incentivising is important,” Dr Kalwinder said.
He pointed to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, which found many Malaysians perceive their health to be fine. “The perception is, out of sight, out of mind. You don’t go for a check-up, you don’t find anything wrong, so you think you’re fine. But that might not be the case.”
The NHMS 2023 actually found that Malaysians are living in the midst of an NCD crisis. More than two million people are affected by three types of NCDs, including diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Half a million have four NCDs, including obesity.
Malaysia now has the highest diabetes rate in the Western Pacific region and one of the highest globally, costing around RM3.1 billion annually.
