GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman has panned a federal plan to have “pilot” Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPVs) in the state implemented gradually as making no sense, because economic frontliners need to be immunised as soon as possible.
Norlela Ariffin said the idea to have pilot PPVs administer jabs to a limited number of people before the effort is ramped up is impractical in view of the current urgent situation.
She said she had told representatives of the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force during a meeting that the state has arranged for on-site vaccinations at factories and mobile vaccination units.
However, the pilot plan is still being pursued. It is due to begin at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort on June 16 and Hotel Equatorial on June 28. Only 460 vaccinations are scheduled daily as a start, before the number is increased to 600, and then, 1,500.
“In my opinion, this is too little,” Norlela told The Vibes.
“Economic frontliners in Penang need to be vaccinated as soon as possible, and just having a pilot project to do this does not make sense.
“We (Penang) are a major (goods) exporter, and we contribute 31.8% of the nation’s total exports. In 2020, our exporting value increased by RM28.4 billion. We are far ahead of other states.
“It shows how important our economic sector is. But we don’t get that income as a state. All the income, all the taxes, all the revenues or whatever that we get, goes to the federal government.
“That is why I’m doing everything possible to focus on having factories run again, and having a pilot vaccination project is unnecessary and too slow.
“This is not rocket science,” she said, stressing that the Penang government has plans to send mobile vaccination units directly to smaller companies.
“We have 36,086 workers from 317 SME companies under the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) as the first batch (of workers) that have registered for vaccinations. We also have 70,000 workers from the Malaysian Semiconductor Industry Association who have done the same.”
However, the International Trade and Industry Ministry still wants to have a pilot initiative that can only do 460 vaccinations a day, she said.
Norlela believes that workers should not have to go to a golf resort to receive their jabs if their employers have submitted proposals to conduct mass vaccination on their own premises.
“They are ready – all the infrastructure is ready; the doctors are ready. It is safer than getting these people, who may be part of the factory cluster, out to the hotels to get vaccinated.
“It is not that complicated. If the vaccinations are done on-site, 1,500 people can be vaccinated in a day.”
Don’t spend on new centres, outside doctors
Norlela stressed that costs will drop, as there will be no need to invest more in vaccination premises. And, most companies have panel doctors who are able to administer the injections.
The doctors have a schedule. The companies’ human resources departments have a schedule. All they have to do is sync their schedules, inform those who need to be vaccinated to get the jabs, and do it on work premises. It is so simple.”
“I managed to get over 100 doctors to register and do the vaccination in two days. It can be done at mobile centres or drive-throughs for smaller companies. There is no need to book a resort or hotel.”
She questioned why money needs to be spent on bringing in doctors from Kuala Lumpur for the vaccination exercise when there are doctors in Penang who can do the job.
The data shows that factories that practise strict standard operating procedures do not suffer the same number of infections as those that do not, she added.
This is because it is not known who workers stay with in their rented homes, and infections are as likely to happen at the workplace as at home.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow recently announced that more PPVs are scheduled to open in the state next week.
The Sg Nibong Pesta site that started operating as a PPV three days ago has vaccinated 1,700 people. The state also reached its target of administering 10,000 vaccine doses daily.
Chow said the state has set a new target of 20,000 jabs per day to complete the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in Penang by the end of October. – The Vibes, June 11, 2021
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