No surcharge if private hospitals allowed to buy Covid-19 vaccine, says association

 

Private hospitals will not impose any surcharge for Covid-19 inoculations if granted permission by the government to procure the vaccines directly from approved suppliers.

Private Hospitals Malaysia Association (APHM) president Dr Kuljit Singh (photo, above) reportedly said that in the event hospitals are allowed to procure the vaccine, they will be administered at the cost of procurement.

"We will not impose any surcharge for the inoculation.

"We will buy on demand, whatever the cost, and that is the only amount people will have to pay as we are not out to make any profit," Kuljit said, as quoted by online portal The Vibes.

He said if private hospitals are allowed to purchase the vaccines directly, they will only select those with approvals but are not a part of the government's portfolio.

As for the government purchased doses, Kuljit reportedly said all 146 APHM members and 64 non-member hospitals are also willing to support the ongoing national Covid-19 immunisation plan by not imposing any extra fees to administer the free vaccines.

At present, he said the government must understand that the aim of private hospitals is to be a partner and help disseminate the vaccine as soon as possible.

"It will also give a chance to people who require the vaccine earlier to be inoculated as soon as possible due to their increased interaction with others or obligations of business, work or religion that require them to travel overseas.

"Those who are willing to pay for the vaccine will give space to others awaiting the free vaccination," Kuljit was quoted as saying in response to Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ahmad Amzad Hashim, who reportedly said that the private sector might be allowed to buy the vaccine after herd immunity is achieved.

Further, he said there appeared to be a misunderstanding on the concept of herd immunity as "it does not make sense" for private hospitals to step in only after 80 per cent or 26.5 million of the population, including foreigners, have been inoculated.

Instead, Kuljit said their involvement should start in Phase 2, from April to August, targeting some 9.4 million people from those aged 65 and above, as well as members of high-risk groups and persons with disabilities.

According to figures from the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said a total of 3,244,641 individuals registered with the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of 3pm yesterday.

Registration for the vaccination programme opened on Feb 24 via the MySejahtera application, one of the five methods provided by the government. - Mkini