SOCSO extends COVID-19 screening programme for employees in KL, Putrajaya, and Selangor

Malaysia's Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) has extended its Programme Saringan Prihatin (Prihatin Screening Programme) to all workers, including foreign workers who contribute to SOCSO, in Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya,

The extension comes following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in these areas, and is effective Monday, 12 October 2020, SOCSO announced in a media statement, and is a continuation of the programme's implementation in Kedah on 12 September 2020 and Sabah on 6 October.

This COVID-19 screening assistance is valid for one screening only and is limited to companies and employees who have not used the facility before. Employers can access it either through an appointment with a service panel appointed by SOCSO, or through the Prihatin screening subsidy.

For the first option, employers would have to personally contact the SOCSO service panel to make an appointment for their employees. A list of service panels appointed by SOCSO can be found here. 

Meanwhile, for employers who choose the subsidy route, COVID-19 screening can be done in any laboratory other than SOCSO service panels. However, the screening cost must be funded by the employer first before the employer can claim the subsidy payment. Following this, SOCSO will make a subsidy repayment of up to RM150 for each employee who has undergone COVID-19 screening.