Construction of Perak SOCSO rehabilitation centre 11.8 pct complete - Sivakumar

IPOH: The construction of the Social Security Organisation's (SOCSO) National Neuro-Robotics and Cybernics Centre in Perak is currently in the second or Superstructure phase with 11.8 per cent of the work completed.

Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said the country's second rehabilitation centre, costing RM654 million, is expected to be fully completed and operational by the end of 2024 and 400 qualified staff will be employed.

"The first phase of this project has been developed on a 15.56- hectare site comprising 11 blocks with a total gross floor area (GFA) of 929,909.22 square metres," he told a press conference on the project today.

He said the complex could accommodate up to 700 patients at a time and would be equipped with the latest robotic technology facilities such as neuro-robotics and cybernics from Japan.

In addition, he said the rehabilitation centre would also serve as a sophisticated Centre of Excellence for the Rehabilitation and Return To Work Programme at the global level, thus making it the best national rehabilitation centre in the country, and largest neuro-robotic service centre in Southeast Asia.

Sivakumar also said that a total of 11,643 patients have undergone physical and vocational rehabilitation at the Tun Abdul Razak Rehabilitation Centre (PRPTAR) in Melaka since it started operating in 2014 until last January.

He said that on an average 30 to 35 per cent of the cases were from the states in the north of the peninsula, so with the rehabilitation centre in Perak, cases from the north could be referred there.

Asked if the rehabilitation centre will be built in other states as well, Sivakumar said the government was still mulling over it as it involves high costs.

Earlier, Sivakumar visited the workers temporary labour quarters (TLQ) for the Rehabilitation Centre in Ipoh and said he was satisfied with the facilities and equipment provided in the TLQ.

Sivakumar recommended that this should be made the standard in providing TLQ for foreign workers in Malaysia as they were less satisfied with the quality of TLQ preparation in some places visited previously.

The provision of TLQ meets the standards and fulfils the requirements of the Department of Manpower in accordance with the Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodation and Employee Facilities Act 1990 (Act 446), including the provision of hostels with a maximum capacity of 644 workers.

-- BERNAMA