GEORGE TOWN: Health screenings on some 175,529 Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributors aged 40 years and above, from last year until February this year, have revealed worrying results.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said it revealed that 59.59 per cent of those screened suffered from hypercholesterolemia, 23.52 per cent from obesity, 20.45 per cent from hypertension and 19.91 per cent from diabetes.
He said unhealthy lifestyles, including overconsumption of sugar, had contributed to the increase in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).
He said, as such, the ministry had launched the Kempen Tolak Gula, with the hope of addressing the health concern.
"We started the diabetes health screening back in 2013. At that time, only nine per cent of those screened were found to suffer from diabetes. Ten years later, it increased to 19.9 per cent. What is worrying is not only the increase in cases but the patients becoming younger and younger.
"And between 2020 and last year, Socso recorded an increase of between RM20 million and RM30 million spent annually to treat this disease.
"As such, we need strategy and a serious campaign to put a stop to this. And we want to commend Socso for having come out with this Kempen Tolak Gula," he said at the launch of the campaign at Jabil Malaysia here today.
Present were Socso board chairman Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal and Socso group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
Elaborating, Sim said the campaign would be implemented widely by Socso, with the support of employers, with the early prevention step proposed to have sugar-free drinks at workplaces.
"This campaign is a significant step to combat NCDs among workers, which not only affects individuals and employers but also the productivity of the country as a whole.
"We hope that all parties can help bridge the gap in workers' health and improve their quality of life," he added.
Speaking to newsmen later, Sim said the ministry was planning to set up a Socso-owned dialysis centre in each state within the next two years.
He said there were currently four Socso-owned dialysis centres, two each in Selangor and Johor.
"We have set aside RM24 million for the purpose and are working with the Health Ministry on this," he added.
The four existing dialysis centres treat 124 patients.
Socso has a total of 700 panels for dialysis and funds 17,000 dialysis patients.
Socso spends between RM2,100 and RM2,500 for each dialysis patient.