'Dress code' for vaccine centres will not help campaign

 

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said there is no need for any dress code at vaccine administration centres (PPVs).

Instead of imposing such rules, it said the government ought to focus on inoculating as many as possible against Covid-19.

Two PPVs have turned people away for not adhering to their dress codes while one facility announced its guidelines on Facebook.

In a comment to Malaysiakini, MMA president Dr M Subramaniam said such rules were unnecessary.

“There should not be any particular dress code for healthcare-related matters. As long as they have a vaccination appointment, they should be let in.

“The number one priority should be to get as many people as possible vaccinated. Now is not the time to be turning people away,” he said.

Such dress code policing comes as the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) is working to ramp up vaccinations to combat the staggering rise of infections.

The CITF previously told Malaysiakini it was “monitoring” these instances but did not mention if action had been or would be taken.

'No shorts or skirts'

Last week, the Dewan Pejabat Daerah Jempol PPV in Negeri Sembilan reportedly turned away those wearing sleeveless vests, shorts and skirts.

A woman was initially barred from entering the Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang PPV in Penang, which imposed a strict “visitors dress code” barring round neck T-shirts, jeans, skirts with hemlines above the knee and sandals.

A Timur Laut health office officer later rescinded the dress code after the woman’s boyfriend tweeted about the incident.

Meanwhile in Johor, the Segamat CITF issued a dress code for the Labis PPV which stipulated that sleeveless tops, shorts, short skirts and ripped jeans are all not allowed.  - Mkini