Phoong explaining to the people waiting outside Dr Kheng Clinic how the Covid-19 vaccination works and urging them not to gather outside the clinic.
KOTA KINABALU: Around 20 private healthcare practitioners in Sabah have signed up to provide Covid-19 vaccination in their clinics, said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
Masidi, who is Sabah’s official Covid-19 spokesperson, said eight of the private practitioners were ready to administer the vaccine.
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“Around 20 private practitioners in Sabah have signed up to give (Covid-19) vaccine in their clinics. Eight are ready.
“We will roll out around May 25,” he said according to information obtained from Sabah Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
Nevertheless, Masidi said registration for Covid-19 vaccination at private clinics would still be done via the My Sejahtera application.
He said that in response to a viral WhatsApp message alleging that Dr Kheng Clinic in Damai has opened up registration for China’s Sinovac vaccine, which would be administered starting May 18.
Meanwhile, Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe said the viral message was misleading because private clinics were merely facilitating the vaccination programmes, meaning serving as one of the vaccination centres.
“Everyone has to register through MySejahtera. If you go to the clinic, you have to register through MySejahtera as well.
“You cannot choose which country or type of vaccines to take, everything is distributed randomly by the government.”
He said registering for Covid-19 vaccination at Dr Kheng Clinic would not guarantee that one would be inoculated at the clinic, or with Sinovac vaccine.
“There might be a chance that Dr Kheng Clinic would get Sinovac but everything would still have to register through MySejahtera.
“The government is the one deciding where you will be taking the jab.”
A long line had formed outside Dr Kheng Clinic on Wednesday after the message went viral with many hoping to be inoculated with Sinovac.
Phoong said one clinic might only provide 30 to 60 jabs a day and walk-in vaccination may not be entertained.
He stressed that registering for vaccination at private clinic was exactly the same as registering at MySejahtera.
Hence, he said the public need not have to go to private clinics on purpose for registration.
Phoong also showed a notice issued by Dr Kheng Clinic stating that registration for Covid-19 vaccination has to be done via the MySejahtera application and the clinic could not guarantee the appointment date for vaccination.
The clinic also stated that the Ministry of Health would provide an assigned vaccination name list to the premises through the MySejahtera application.