GEORGE TOWN – An elderly couple from the United Kingdom have lavished praise on the smooth running of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), describing it as highly efficient and comparable with developed countries.
Rose Godfrey, 68, and her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Godfrey, 71, were at the Vaccines Administration Centre (PPV) in the SPICE Arena here yesterday.
They said the process was conducted in an orderly and fast manner, while the health workers were also friendly and helpful.
Rose and Malcolm, who have been living in the country by virtue of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme for the past three years, said they were helped by their local friends to secure an appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“We knew about the open offer for the AZ vaccine from our friends. So we thought, why not? Because we all need to get vaccinated for the safety of the community,” Malcolm told The Vibes at the centre.
Rose, who married her husband in Komtar in 1999, said she is happy and has never regretted having to stay in Malaysia for an extended period during the pandemic lockdown.
“Penang is very close to our hearts. My husband and I met here,” she said.
“At that time, I was working with a private company, while my husband was an air force man assigned to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Butterworth.
“So, when we had to stay here for a long time because of the lockdown, we didn’t feel awkward because Penang is also our home.”
Meanwhile, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin called on the private sector to help increase the attendance of vaccine recipients at all PPVs in Penang.
Among his suggestions is for developers under the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) to provide coupons or price reductions to those who have received the full two vaccine doses.
“I was made to understand at the SPICE Arena PPV that about 9% to 10% of those with vaccine appointments do not show up because they change their minds at the last minute,” Sim said.
“So, I think the private sector can play its role to ensure that this vaccination programme is a fun one,” he said after visiting the centre yesterday.
Sim said that he would provide lucky draw coupons for prizes worth RM1,000 to those who complete both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine every month.
He said the initiative, to start this month, will be open to all Penangites who register with him.
“I will also play a role in ensuring that vaccine recipients are present. We don’t want them to just be registered, but we want them to carry out their responsibilities as citizens so that we can achieve herd immunity.” – The Vibes, June 12, 2021
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