The New Paper carried a double-page spread on three cases of workers needing cranioplasty. The main story was about Majibar Hakim whose employer “would not pay for the surgery” said the article, though the reporter added that this could not be verified with the employer directly.

It also noted that “A spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told TNP that Mr Majibar’s employer had paid for his previous medical expenses. MOM had previously said that these costs ‘significantly exceeded’ the limit for compensation benefits for medical expenses, under the Work Injury Compensation Act.”

TWC2 gave a letter of guarantee to pay for Majibar’s operation, which is likely to cost $20,000, with money earmarked from our Care Fund. The newspaper reported that this fund “is dedicated to paying the medical expenses of migrant workers.A large portion of this fund was donated by the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.”

The full story in The New Paper can be seen by clicking this link.

The first of two subsidiary stories in the feature had two doctors saying that such surgery — to replace a missing part of the skull — is highly recommended. Persons who try to go about without protection for their brains may suffer several risks.

The second subsidiary story noted that in the case of the other two workers who had sustained head injuries and also had a part of their skulls removed in the immeidate aftermath,

THE employers of Mr Mosa Kalimolla Siraj and Mr Md Lablu Md Rowshan Molla will be paying for the workers’ operations. A spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told The New Paper in an e-mail response that it had investigated the claims of the three workers. For Mr Mosa and Mr Md Lablu, MOM has obtained professional medical opinions that the cranioplasty treatment was required. “We have informed the employers to bear the cost of surgery,” the spokesman said. “The employers have informed the hospitals that they will pay for the surgery.”