MMA wants nursing home residents inoculated

 

As the country runs out of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 cases, a medical group urged the government to take proactive action to vaccinate the elderly who are staying in nursing homes and aged care centres.

Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr M Subramaniam warned that there could be a tsunami of cases from this category soon.

The government can engage private general practitioners (GPs) to provide vaccinations at these centres in case the government lacks the manpower to do so, he suggested.

“The demand for ICU hospitalisation can rapidly increase if older persons at nursing homes and aged care facilities (registered and unregistered) are infected with Covid-19,” he said in a statement today.

“With cases of Covid-19 on the rise now, the Special Committee on Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) must ensure this vulnerable group is vaccinated to protect against the coronavirus and to prevent breakouts at these aged care facilities.

“Urgency must be given to this as there is a high likelihood that due to old age and medical condition, older persons in this category will require ICU hospitalisation if infected with Covid-19.

“MMA warns that there can be a tsunami of patients from this category at public and even private hospitals if the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) neglects this group,” stressed Subramaniam.

“JKJAV should have set aside some of the AstraZeneca vaccines for this purpose,” he added.

“It would be unreasonable for senior citizens in this category to go to a vaccination centre to receive the jab.

“If there is a shortage of manpower, the Health Ministry should enlist the help of the private GPs to give the vaccinations at the nursing homes and aged care centres,” he said.

Putrajaya had reintroduced nationwide movement control order (MCO) from May 12 to June 7 as the country struggled to battle the resurgence of Covid-19 since mid-April.

On May 8, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah raised concerns that the country would soon run out of ICU beds for Covid-19 cases as 19 public hospitals have more than 70 percent of their ICU beds filled.

The second phase of the vaccination process, which targeted elderly population, was not well received as many feared the AstraZeneca vaccine could cause blood clots as a rare side effect.

Malaysia secured a total of 12.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, half of which will come via the Covax facility. The first 600,000 doses will arrive in June.

The government then decided to distribute the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on a voluntary basis. - Mkini