(From left) Dr Sim, Uggah and Dr Rosmawati in discussion during the arrival of the cargo plane carrying the vaccines.
KUCHING (June 10): Sarawak will engage more private hospitals and general practitioner (GP) private clinics to serve as vaccination centres (PPVs) in its bid to carry out more comprehensive Covid-19 immunisation programme, said Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government had roped in 42 private clinics, of which 40 have already started giving the vaccinations, with more in the process of registration.
He said they are expected to vaccinate 3,366 individuals each week and would be operational three days a week, with plans to increase the operation to five days each week.
“For private hospitals, we will engage six more to add to the five which have started giving the vaccination. They will have a combined total capacity of 5,000 to 7,000 vaccines per day,” he told the media after the arrival of a consignment of 380,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine yesterday.
The consignment of vaccines being shifted to the cargo area.
Uggah also said the state had done extensive planning in the last few months to fully utilise the upsurge in supplies of vaccine.
“We have looked into establishing more vaccination centres, government facilities and private clinics and private hospitals as well as setting up mobile teams to reach out into interior areas.
“On the part of the government facilities, we have identified 130 government clinics and hospitals where the total daily vaccination capacity is expected at 24,300 vaccinees.
“We are also going to set up public vaccination centres in 102 stadiums, community halls, offices and longhouses. The target is to have 42,500 vaccinees daily,” he said.
The cargo, flown in by a Maskargo aircraft, arrived at Kuching International Airport at about 12.20pm.
SDMC advisor Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and the acting director of the state Health Department Dr Rosmawati Ariffin were among those at the KIA cargo area to witness the arrival.
Uggah also said in addition, there are two vaccination centres for the AstraZeneca vaccine – at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching and the National Youth Skills Institute in Miri.
“The target is for both centres to vaccinate a combined total of 4,400 individuals each day.”
Uggah also said special outreach mobile teams would be set up in the state’s interiors.
“We have, for instance, engaged 11 mobile teams in Song, Kapit, Bukit Mabong and Belaga districts. Each team will come to a designated centre where longhouses folks and villagers in each area will have to converge. Each team is expected to vaccinate 250 individuals daily,” he said.
Uggah once again advised those who had yet to register for the vaccination to do so soonest, either through the MySejahtera mobile app or at the nearest district office and health centre.
He said by doing so, it would help the medical teams to do their preparations like appointments, vaccination dates and venues and so forth.
As of May 27, a total of 1,255,948 people (61.5 percent) out of the state’s population of 2,072,000 above 18 years old had registered themselves.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba had been quoted as saying as at June 8, Sarawak had the second highest number of people who had received two doses of vaccination at 124,820 and the third highest who had received the first dose at 256,044.