MIRI – The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will find ways to get Penans – a minority ethnic group in Ulu Baram – who refused or objected against Covid-19 vaccinations to get their jabs soon.
Its chairman, Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas, said the government will seek the assistance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and elected representatives to find ways to persuade them.
“We are now ready with a supply of the CanSino vaccine. This single-dose vaccine is a good option for them and our medical personnel are coming to their areas,” he said in a statement after attending a briefing on the Miri division Covid-19 booster dose and adolescent vaccination programmes here today.
Uggah said Miri division health officer Dr Raviwharmman Packierisamy told him that they had tried six different engagements to persuade the Penans to be vaccinated.
“We have tried through government officers, elected representatives, influential members of the community, NGOs and the Borneo Evangelical Mission (a religious body) to persuade them (the Penans), but to no avail.
“While they have no issue with normal medical treatments or procedures, they freeze out and reject the jab outright. They will even disappear into the deep jungle when our vaccination teams arrive. This situation remains one of our great challenges in our vaccination programme rollout,” Dr Raviwharmman said.
He added that the Penans in Baram are unlike those from the Belaga district in the Kapit division – whom he learnt from divisional resident Nyurak Keti were more receptive.
Meanwhile, as this small ethnic group live scattered in some six different settlements in Ulu Baram, Uggah agreed to a suggestion by Dr Raviwharmman for a voluntary medical team led by doctors from the state health department, as well as retired medical personnel from Baram to visit these settlements.
“The team will go to interior places to give medical and dental treatments for a few days. They have developed a close rapport with the locals and have also gained their trust. The state government is ready to provide the team with some financial assistance in order to help the Penans,” he said.
He said SDMC is also considering providing booster doses to eligible frontliners in the state who are not medical personnel. – Bernama, October 19, 2021
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