Bukit Kayu Hitam rep's outreach programme speeds up vaccination process

JITRA, June 5  -- A COVID-19 vaccination immunisation outreach programme  organised by an assemblywoman here has clearly sped up the vaccination process for the public, especially the elderly and Persons with Disabilities (PwD).

A vision-impaired woman, Fatimah Mat Noh, 70, said she took the opportunity to get her vaccination shot through the programme because she had not received her appointment date yet.

"I just registered in MySejahtera (last month), so my appointment date is still unknown, that’s why I came directly here, it’s faster to get my shot,” she told Bernama when met during the vaccination outreach programme near here today. 

Fatimah, who lives alone at Kampung Ketol near here said she learnt of the programme from her niece, who brought her to the Bukit Kayu Hitam assemblyman’s service centre to register as a vaccine recipient at 8 am today.

Meanwhile, a disabled woman with spinal deformities, Norfazira Ismail, 28, said she was grateful to be able to receive her first COVID-19 vaccine dose through the programme today.

Norfazira said she had previously registered through the MySejahtera app early March, but had yet to receive an appointment date, even though she was likely to be in the high risk category if exposed to COVID-19.

"A nurse told me that I could come for vaccination by walking in today, so I came and Alhamdulillah, I received my first dose today,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mat Kasa Ahmad, 90, had elected to not to show up for his previous vaccination appointment made through MySejahtera previously due to doubts over the side effects and his age.

"It’s not that I don’t want to be vaccinated, I am fine with being treated, that’s why when I learnt that I could get vaccinated today, my daughter brought me here,” he said, adding that he had just registered for the second time through MySejahtera app two days ago.

Bukit Kayu Hitam assemblywoman Halimaton Shaadiah Saad said she, with the assistance of the Kubang Pasu district health office, had organised the programme to enable at-risk groups, especially the elderly and PwDs, to receive their vaccinations, irregardless of whether they had registered as vaccine recipients.

“Bukit Kayu Hitam has many villages and many residents have yet to register as vaccine recipients as they do not have smartphones or do not know how. So, this programme is easier because all they need to do is to show up and bring their identification cards for confirmation, and if they qualify they will be immediately vaccinated.

"Around 1,200 vaccination doses have been prepared for this two-day programme (that began yesterday) and I view it as a success as many people came, although there were some who did not manage to be vaccinated due to limited doses, but this shows public awareness about the importance of vaccination is there,” she said.

Halimaton Shaadiah also added that she would try to organise the outreach programme again to provide walk-in vaccinations to the public, especially at-risk groups in the area.

After all the outreach programmes are complete, she said they would set up the mobile vaccination team that will enter the villages to provide vaccinations, focusing on the elderly and the infirm.

-- BERNAMA