KUALA LUMPUR – Taking note of the difficulty in securing Covid-19 vaccine appointments faced by the urban poor in his constituency, Pasir Pinji assemblyman Howard Lee plans to deploy a fully functioning mobile vaccination centre in the area, as well as other parts of Ipoh.
In a Facebook video, the DAP man said he aims to provide more than 400 jabs a day and expects to have all his constituents vaccinated within a month – provided that vaccine supplies are not disrupted, and he obtains government permission.
“(The poor) are a chronically vulnerable and voiceless group that is often hidden in plain sight. They are the urban poor who are illiterate, digitally or otherwise, often physically disabled, and economically (in) dire (straits), without family or (a) support network, (and) rely entirely on others, like my office, to get vaccinated.
“Every step of the way (to getting vaccinated) is painstaking (for them) – from getting registered, securing transport to and from vaccination centres, and so on.
“I’m not here to criticise anyone, whether the immunisation programme or vaccination absentees. I’m here to provide a solution to the problem, especially for the group I mentioned.
“No amount of amply available vaccines, or number of mega PPVs (vaccination centres), can solve their problem, unless vaccines are brought to them.”
He also called on volunteers to step forward and assist in this initiative.
To ensure its success, the former Perak exco has drafted the help of a public transport operator that agreed to retrofit one of its 11m coaches, complete with a driver, for the next six months to help distribute vaccines to residents of Pasir Pinji and Ipoh.
Taking into consideration the vulnerable group’s inability to travel to jab sites, Lee plans to deploy the mobile vaccination centre to strategic areas throughout his constituency and the state capital.
Recipients will not need to travel more than 500m to receive their shots.
“We hope to be up and running by the last week of July, seven days a week, 12 hours a day, provided that (we receive) the necessary approval and vaccine supplies are not disrupted,” said Lee.
So far, 12 doctors, seven nurses and two medical assistants have volunteered for the programme.
Lee told The Vibes that there will be an ambulance on standby at all times, and each mobile centre will be equipped to treat anyone experiencing an allergic reaction leading to anaphylactic shock.
“In the event of anaphylactic shock, we can treat them immediately, on the spot. We have an emergency room and an ambulance on standby.
“We’ve also struck a deal with Perak Community Specialist Hospital giving us a ‘green lane’ in the event of an emergency. Within Pasir Pinji, the hospital is within eight minutes of our furthest area of operation.”
At present, the only obstacles in his endeavour are Putrajaya and the federal Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).
The DAP Youth chief submitted his proposal to Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad on May 29, requesting that the latter instruct all reps to set up a jab site and mobile vaccination centre each in their respective communities.
He also sent his proposal to the Perak secretary’s office, state Health Department director, state National Security Council and Pasir Pinji district office.
“I didn’t get anything from it (letter to Saarani). He said he will table it to the excos and discuss it with the state CITF.
“I never heard anything from him after that.”
Those interested in volunteering for the initative can register via a dedicated website. – The Vibes, July 18, 2021
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