IPOH – The Perak government has assured that there is no issue of individuals jumping queue to receive the Covid-19 vaccine because it is implemented according to schedule as planned.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said that therefore, the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme currently being implemented will proceed according to plan to ensure fairness to those who have been waiting their turn.
“In Perak, we have a schedule that includes excos and front-line workers. No issue of jumping queue. This is to ensure that the rotation schedule is followed through,” he told reporters after completing the programme at state level here today.
National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin urged those with information about individuals who jump the queue to receive the vaccine to report directly to him.
On the need for excos to be given the shots, Saarani said the decision was taken to set an example for the people so they are not afraid come their turn.
Touching on today’s programme, Saarani said he has gotten the Covid-19 shot along with 221 front-line staff of health offices and health laboratories around the Kinta district.
He said based on data from the Perak Health Department, the state has received 22,230 doses of vaccine for the implementation in the first phase of the programme involving a total of 39,760 frontline staff and the exercise is expected to be completed by the end of April.
“It comprises 22,094 staffers under the Health Ministry while another 17,666 are front-line personnel from other departments who are also directly involved in Covid-19 prevention and control activities,” he said.
Saarani was the first in Perak to get the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, administered by Kinta district health office nurse M. Kirage Letchemy assisted by Simee Health Clinic nurse Che Norhayati Hussin.
In Kelantan, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob today again denied allegations that 200 members of the state secretary office (SUK) wanted to ‘jump queue’ in the list of early Covid-19 vaccine recipients in the state, which went viral on social media yesterday.
“I did not receive any report on this. It is possible that it was just a conversation on social media and there is no exact source.
“However, we have made plans and preparations with the Kelantan Health Department to conduct vaccinations tomorrow,” he told reporters after witnessing the One Year of Malaysia Prihatin keynote address ceremony virtually here.
Ahmad will be the first in Kelantan to get the Covid-19 vaccine at the launch of the state-level vaccination programme’s first phase tomorrow. – Bernama, March 1, 2021
