The Proposed Future Infrastructure Model for Basic Occupational Health Services in Malaysia

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Public Health Policy
• Health Systems Research

Background:

• Occupational health services (OHS) aim to ensure safe workplaces and employee well-being, but global accessibility remains a significant challenge, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
• The World Health Organization and International Labour Organization developed the basic occupational health services (BOHS) guideline to address these challenges, emphasizing its role within the broader occupational safety and health (OSH) system.
• Despite Malaysia's adoption of the BOHS guideline for SMEs, its accessibility is limited, indicating a gap between international recommendations and national implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a gap analysis of basic occupational health services (BOHS) in Malaysia compared to the international guideline.
• To identify key challenges contributing to the low accessibility of BOHS in Malaysia.
• To propose a BOHS infrastructure model to enhance service accessibility and equity for Malaysian workers.

Main Methods:

• A gap analysis was performed comparing current BOHS in Malaysia with the international BOHS guideline.
• Qualitative or quantitative methods were likely employed to identify challenges in BOHS infrastructure and OHS system provision.
• The study involved reviewing existing literature and potentially analyzing data on OHS service delivery in Malaysia.

Main Results:

• Significant weaknesses were identified in the existing BOHS infrastructure and the provision of the overall OHS system in Malaysia.
• The gap analysis revealed discrepancies between the intended scope of the BOHS guideline and its practical implementation in the Malaysian context.
• Low accessibility of BOHS, particularly for SMEs, was confirmed as a critical issue.

Conclusions:

• The current BOHS infrastructure and OHS system in Malaysia are insufficient to ensure widespread accessibility and equitable service provision.
• Addressing the identified weaknesses in infrastructure and system provision is essential for improving BOHS accessibility.
• The proposed BOHS infrastructure model aims to enhance service coverage and promote fair health services for all Malaysian workers, especially those in SMEs.