SHAH ALAM, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) recorded a total of 5,617 occupational safety and safety (OSH) cases involving its staff last year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said out of that number, 2,836 cases involved workplace and commuting accidents, while 1,687 cases were related to needlestick injuries.
He said the remaining cases involved other occupational diseases, including dermatitis, tuberculosis, and hearing loss caused by excessive noise.
“This clearly proves that healthcare workers are constantly exposed to various risks at the workplace, but such risks can be prevented and controlled through effective occupational health management.
“One of the important requirements to ensure the proper functioning of such management is the provision of dedicated occupational health services for healthcare workers,” he said.
He said this when closing the Ministry of Health’s Occupational Safety and Health Day 2025 (OSH Day 2025) event at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Setia Alam here today.
Following this, Dzulkefly said the Occupational Health Service Guidelines at MOH Facilities (GP PKP), launched today, are highly timely to ensure occupational health management can be strengthened.
He said the guidelines serve as a vital pillar in reinforcing occupational health services, in addition to functioning as a comprehensive reference to protect nearly 300,000 MOH staff exposed to biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks.
At the same time, he said the capacity of MOH’s Occupational Health Services (PKP) now covers 61 health facilities nationwide, with 57 of them staffed with Occupational Health Doctors (OHDs) specifically assigned to carry out the service’s core functions.
Dzulkefly said the capacity was further enhanced by clinical assets comprising 28 audiometer units with 17 centres recognised as Audiometric Test Centres (ATC), as well as 37 spirometer units.
He said the PKP is also integrated with the Lung Health Initiative (LHI), which utilises artificial intelligence (AI)-based chest X-ray technology.
“This initiative enables early detection of work-related lung diseases such as tuberculosis and lung cancer. So far, it has been implemented at seven health clinics and will be expanded to 150 clinics by 2026,” he said.
Earlier, Dzulkefly said the two-day OSH Day 2025, which began yesterday, brought together over 500 participants comprising healthcare workers, policymakers, academics, and strategic partners from across the country.
With the theme “Revolutionising Occupational Safety and Health: The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digitalisation in the Workplace,” the seminar focused on how technological innovation can enhance safety protection, prevent occupational diseases, and reduce workplace risks.
Also held were plenary sessions on the prevention of needlestick injuries, legal aspects of OSH, the use of AI data analytics, laboratory safety, OSH promotion skills training, and an exhibition featuring 18 booths from various stakeholders.
-- BERNAMA
