KOTA KINABALU – A total of 132 remote villages in Sabah require the services of the Combat Medic Vaccination Team (CMVT) to carry out the Covid-19 immunisation programme in the area, said Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said a special committee will be formed to discuss the matter with the state government, including determining the villages that need to be given priority.
“The CMVT is established to vaccinate rural residents who do not have access, or have access but are difficult to be reached by road, taking about five to seven hours. With the CMVT, residents do not have to go out as the team will come to their villages,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after inspecting the drive-thru vaccination programme for the Fifth Infantry Division for the Third Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment at the Lok Kawi Camp today.
Ismail Sabri said that the CMVT in Sabah had started a tour to Kg Long Pasia, Sipitang for two days, ending yesterday, under the Jiwa Murni programme to administer vaccines to residents in the area under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
However, he said that only 227 residents were allowed to get vaccinated in the programme, and the CMVT was directed to enter the area again to ensure all residents get vaccinated, and will even go from house to house to administer vaccines.
“The CMVT will continue the Jiwa Murni programme to administer vaccines to the rural population in Inarad, near Tongod, which is scheduled to take place on July 20 and 21,” he said. – Bernama, June 26, 2021