GEORGE TOWN – Penang went into fifth gear with the appointment of two private hospitals to administer Covid-19 vaccination jabs to 6,000 medical frontliners.
The two hospitals – Island Hospital and Lam Wah Ee Hospital – began the inoculation process today. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and state health services department director Datuk Dr Asmayani Khalib were on hand at Island Hospital to witness the distribution.
“I would like to thank the private sector for their strong cooperation with the government,” said Asmayani.
“Island Hospital and Lam Wah Ee are the two private hospitals in Penang approved by the federal government to be the vaccination centres.
“They start off by vaccinating 90 of their own staffers. More of their staff and other frontliners from private hospitals will be vaccinated from tomorrow,” she said.
The 19 vaccination centres in Penang are based at six hospitals and 13 health clinics.
As of midnight today, a total of 391,573 people – approximately 28.3% of Penang’s population – have registered for the vaccination programme.
“We want to encourage more people to come forward to register for the vaccines,” said Asmayani. “It is safe. We want to achieve herd immunity.”
Chow commended both hospitals for playing their role in speeding up the vaccination process.
The first phase of vaccinating 31,000 frontliners in the state was expected to be completed by end of April after all have received their second shot of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The vaccinations are done strictly in accordance with the name list provided by the Health Ministry.
Island Hospital chief operating officer Stephanie Lee said that they were honoured to be part of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
At Lam Wah Ee, its medical superintendent cum general surgeon Datuk Dr Yip Kok Thye led their 90-member team to take their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine today.
Meanwhile, Bukit Tambun assemblyperson Goh Choon Aik told media representatives that one school in Simpang Ampat may have up to seven students who are suspected of contracting the virus.
As a result, only 35 out of 1,194 students turned up at school today in SJK (C) Keng Koon in Simpang Ampat.
It is believed that there are currently 12 suspected cases involving pupils in Year Four and Six.
Penang continues to struggle with the fight against the pandemic with cases reaching 12,700 and three deaths.
Today, the state recorded 142 cases. – The Vibes, March 15, 2021
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