AUGUST 14 — On Thursday, Malay Mail reported that fewer than 20 commercial vehicle drivers had taken up the government’s subsidised health screening programme since it was launched last month.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook who revealed this said that the response to the Pemandu Sihat dan Selamat (PSS) initiative was low despite eligible drivers having to pay only RM30 for a comprehensive health examination, with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) subsidising the remaining RM55.

This a good initiative to protect drivers and other road users. The campaign to promote it should be intensified for more of these drivers to step forward to be screened and cared for.

A comprehensive health screening could easily cost a few hundred ringgit to a few thousand ringgit for an individual doing health screening in a private healthcare facility. This is a good opportunity for commercial vehicle drivers to get their health screening done at a very low cost.

Malaysia has a huge number of people with diabetes and high blood pressure, and this pose a safety issue for drivers, passengers and other road users.

The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 revealed that 15.6 per cent of adults (about 3.6 million people) have diabetes and 29.2 per cent (about 6.7 million people) have hypertension.

The risk factor is high if these conditions are not under control. A driver could suddenly have a stroke or heart attack, and even dies while driving.

These are silent killers.

The lack of knowledge and care for drivers’ health could lead to road accidents, harming themselves, their passengers and other road users.

In fact, this health screening should be made mandatory. It does not mean that drivers have to stop driving if they are diabetic or have hypertension. They could seek doctors and dieticians’ advice and make the necessary lifestyle changes if the condition is still at the early stage.

But if it is severe, they may need to take time off and get themselves treated and take medication until their condition is stabilised so as to not endanger themselves and others. This is the part that may deter them from doing the health screening because for each day that they don’t drive, they may not get paid. This too needs to be addressed at the policy level if it has not.

The other thing to add to the screening is to check for drug use. Once, I interviewed a diabetic lorry driver who told me that he took a drug when driving. He said it gave him the energy and helped him stay awake when making the long drive. He asked me, with all sincerity written on his face, how else he could stay awake?

Due to his uncontrolled diabetes that resulted in extreme fatigue, he had to stop work.

While I understood his struggle, I think a lot of health literacy education is lacking and is much needed. The policy on such workers’ welfare needs to be looked into too. The food served at rest stops could be healthier.

To intensify the campaign on screening commercial vehicle drivers, some temporary centres can be set up at highway rest areas to do the health screening.

If there are enough funds, perhaps some exercise machines can be installed at rest stops for drivers and passengers to do some simple exercises and stretching for 10 to 15 minutes, instead of smoking, during their journey break. This could help with better blood circulation and alertness.

In reaching out to the target population for health improvements, we may need to reach out to them where they are.

In fact, after this campaign, future efforts should include all other drivers who have not done any health screenings and treatment. This is crucial for road safety.

* Loh Foon Fong is an independent senior health writer/copy editor based in the Klang Valley.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.