Socso to collaborate with Psychiatry Dept to help former mental patients

SEREMBAN, Sept 20  -- The Social Security Organisation (Socso) hopes to collaborate with the Psychiatry Department in government hospitals through the Restart (Re-employment support, treatment and rehabilitation team) programme to help former mental patients get jobs by end of this year.

Human Resource Minister, Datuk Seri M.Saravanan said so far, 48 per cent of the 83 participants in the programme had been assisted in job placement involving six hospitals including Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Tuanku Najihah Hospital, Kuala Pilah, and Chancellor Tuanku Mukhriz Hospital, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The three other hospitals are Selayang Hospital, Melaka Hospital and Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang.

 "The ministry in an effort to ensure access to employment opportunities amid the economic slowdown, will help all parties including former mentally ill employees.

"Through the programme which started since 2017, patients are given various support including via MYFutureJobs portal. It is the first step to help the group and to contribute to the country's productivity,” he told reporters after opening the ministry's CareerGenerator Carnival at Negeri Sembilan level here today.

Commenting on the carnival which kicked off on June 15, Saravanan said a total of 12,435 employers had registered for the recruitment incentive and of the total, 37,340 individuals had been employed.

"Today, more than 6,000 vacancies are waiting (to be filled) and I was informed that a total of 2,327 job seekers have registered, so with this offer, I think if people are not choosy, everyone will be able to get a job,” he added.

Meanwhile, when asked about the proposal by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) recently that the wage subsidy programme scheduled to end this month should be extended until December, Saravanan said the matter is being studied by taking into account the country's financial impact.

-- BERNAMA