Wednesday May 30, 2012

Socso scheme helps injured cabbie get back on his feet

By P. ARUNA
aruna@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Driver Hasni Md Nor, 48, suffered severe spinal injury two years ago after a fall and thought his life was over.

“I was unable to walk for nearly six months and doctors told me I might never recover,” he said, recalling the accident that occurred while he was fixing a roof on the first floor of a building here.

Hasni suffered a burst fracture an injury from a broken vertebrae due to severe compression.

However, the Social Security Organisation (Socso) has given him a new lease on life.

Re-employed: Hasni, who suffered severe spinal injury two years ago, doing his chores at the Hotel Intercontinental where he is currently working.

Hasni responded to its Return to Work programme and accepted Hotel Intercontinental's offer of a job.

The former taxi driver, who also did odd-jobs, is one of 4,842 injured and disabled persons who have been re-employed through the Socso programme.

It not only focuses on finding them work but also provides physical rehabilitation, motivation and skills training.

Hasni manages to carry out his chores at the hotel easily.

“I clean the rooms, do the laundry and ironing. The employer treats us well and I am able to provide for my family once again,” said Hasni, who has two children, aged five and six.

Socso deputy CEO for operations Datuk Dr Mohd Azman Aziz Mohd said many lose confidence after an accident and feel they are no longer valuable to the workforce.

“Our job is to ensure they can continue to be as useful as they were before the accident,” he said.

“If they are unable to do the same job, they are provided with other skills training such as sewing.”

Dr Mohd Azman said a major challenge for Socso was in ensuring employers hired injured and disabled persons.

“Although more companies are willing today compared to when we first started five years ago, there is still a long way to go.”