Socso bins plan to tighten free dialysis criteria following criticism

The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has decided to roll back its plan to tighten conditions for contributors to receive free dialysis treatment.

This comes after the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) and Opposition Party MCA criticised the government agency over the move.

In a statement tonight, Socso said it has withdrawn with immediate effect a Jan 10 directive that detailed the qualifying criteria revisions.

“After considering the welfare of the workers and upon advice from Minister of Human Resources (M Kulasegaran), the Socso board has decided to withdraw the directive on the qualifying criteria.

“This move will allow all eligible Socso’s insured persons, including Invalidity Grant recipients to receive the dialysis aid as before,” it said.

It was previously reported that the directive ruled that those who qualify need to be already living with a disease that requires dialysis, and must present an invalidity notice to Socso before they turn 60.

They would need to pay at least 24 out of 40 consecutive months of Socso contributions before they could be issued the invalidity notice.

The monthly deductions must comprise at least a third of their first deduction upon entering the scheme until their invalidity notice is received.

Socso explained that it had decided to impose the criteria to ensure the “future sustainability” of the social security fund.

Today, it admitted that the move would have limited “a small number” of contributors from being able to receive the aid.

Victory for the people

MTUC previously branded the tightened criteria as "inhumane” and “cruel”, contending that it affected those who needed the treatment most.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong had also called the directive cruel and urged Kulasegaran to step in to address it.

Following Socso’s latest announcement, Wee hailed the “U-turn” as a victory for the rakyat.