Emotional day for staff on last day of WTC PPV operations

KUALA LUMPUR – Staff at the World Trade Centre (WTC) vaccination centre (PPV) had mixed emotions when it officially closed yesterday after operating for 150 days since May 5. 

WTC and Klang Valley PPV manager Dr Husni Za'eem Abdul Hadi, 35, said the mega PPV, which administered the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, had its own share of challenges.

He said that managing the administering of 18,000 vaccine jabs a day was among the priceless experiences he would never forget.

“We also faced challenges like handling large crowds in terms of standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance and crowd control. This is because we handled 18,000 vaccine doses a day,” he said at the WTC PPV yesterday.

Dr Husni Za’eem said he is happy with the success of the mega PPV in increasing the vaccination rate, as well as being a model in providing the best service to the public.

“I am happy that everything went smoothly and about 1.3 million individuals received their vaccine jabs here. We tried to minimise mistakes and whatever information we received was used as a guide and reference for us to be more prepared for future challenges,” he said.

An assistant medical officer at the WTC PPV, Mohd Hazani Hassim, 40, said it was a challenge dealing with individuals from different backgrounds.

“It was definitely challenging working here. There were individuals questioning me on whether the syringe was filled with water while some did not comply with the SOP and so on.

“However, we continued to carry out our task responsibly and with dedication,” said Hazani, who has served for 18 years in the civil service.

Meanwhile, Rela platoon leader Salmiah Umar, 55, said she was grateful that the vaccination process has been implemented successfully at the PPV.

“I’m having mixed feelings… there’s joy and sadness. I am grateful and happy to see the recipients coming here to get vaccinated,” she said. – Bernama, October 4, 2021