Increase PPVs to hit daily vaccine target: Guan Eng to KJ
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government should increase the number of Covid-19 vaccine dispensation centres (PPV) with 2,000 more venues in order to achieve its target of 150,000 daily vaccine doses administered, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
The Bagan MP said as of June 11 and 12, only 124,618 and 133,804 Covid-19 vaccine doses respectively were administered nationwide, which were below the target set by the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
“If PN is serious about reaching the targeted 150,000 daily doses of Covid-19 vaccines to achieve herd immunity by Dec 31, the existing 381 PPVs must be increased by another 2,000 PPVs," Lim said in a statement today.
He pointed out that Malaysia still has a long way to go to achieve its targeted herd immunity which requires 80 percent of its population to be vaccinated.
That means, at least 26.18 million people out of the country's population of 32.72 million needs to be vaccinated, he added.
Khairy had previously said the government’s target was 150,000 daily doses in June, 200,000 in July and 300,000 in August.
One of the challenges in achieving these targets, Lim said, is the small number of PPVs in the country.
“How can a mere 381 PPVs throughout the country get the job done for the vaccination of 26.18 million Malaysians, or an average total of nearly 70,000 Malaysians processed by each PPV?
“This is too onerous a burden placed on the existing 381 PPV.
“There should be an increase of at least 2,000 more PPVs, so that each PPV can swiftly and smoothly process 10,000 Malaysians receiving vaccines during the critical period to achieve herd immunity,” he added.
As such, DAP urges the PN government to act immediately by gazetting all government health clinics and suitable private clinics into PPVs, in order to make vaccination more easily accessible for all.
Converting health clinics and private clinics into PPVs will also widen the reach of the vaccination into rural areas, Lim said, adding that many living in rural areas, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, face logistical issues in getting to the PPVs.
The former finance minister said the PN government already failed twice and cannot afford to do so a third time.
The first failure, he said, was when it was unable to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, despite imposing an emergency on Jan 12.
The second failure was the delay in booking vaccine procurement, followed by the delayed delivery of the vaccines, Lim said.
“The PN government cannot fail a third time by botching the smooth and swift process of vaccination.
“Not just the lives of Malaysians are at stake, many lives could have been saved by the earlier arrival of vaccines, but the economic recession can also kill the financial livelihood of many more Malaysians,” he added.
