After several shutdowns, KL wholesale market workers get vaccinated

 

Trader associations from the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market today came together to assist its members who participated in a Covid-19 mobile vaccination drive organised by the Federal Territories Ministry.

Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers’ Association president Wong Keng Fatt said while the vaccine itself is free, each participant who chose to join the programme has to pay RM50 for each dose.

"The vaccine itself is free, but RM100 (for two doses) is the cost paid to the company which administered the vaccination," Wong told Malaysiakini.

It is however unclear whether the stall owners had absorbed all of the vaccination costs or passed it on to each individual recipient.

Kuala Lumpur Fruit Wholesaler Association president Chin Nyuk Moy said the associations had met and discussed their need for urgent vaccination, after the market experienced several closures due to Covid-19 outbreaks since the start of the pandemic last year.

"Many stall owners wanted to vaccinate their workers, but we were unsure how long we needed to wait.

"Now we are more like in the express track. However, we didn't force everyone to get it. 

"Those who want it have to pay the cost for needles and syringes because this is a kind of outsourcing to private companies," she added.

Chin said the associations were approached by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as the coordinator of the mobile vaccination drive and its members had agreed to the arrangement for stall owners, market workers and their assistants.

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa was present earlier today to observe the vaccination process involving mobile trucks from Optimax Holdings Bhd.

Optimax was appointed by ProtectHealth Corp Sdn Bhd, the government-owned executor for private general practitioners' participation in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).

The initiative is also part of the ministry's MYMedic@Wilayah Vaccine Mobile Truck programme.

When contacted, Annuar's aide confirmed that the associations were in direct negotiations with Optimax and DBKL as the owner of the market site had played its role to coordinate the overall process.

"We just helped the stall owners in that aspect. DBKL did not take any fees," said the aide.

It was reported that the mobile vaccination will involve over 2,000 individuals comprising license owners, assistants and employees.

As the country moves to ramp up its daily vaccination targets, more initiatives including mobile vaccination targeting vulnerable communities and public-private partnership vaccinations have been rolled out to complement the NIP. - Mkini