Drive to get more Kampar residents vaccinated leads to overcrowding

 

A vaccine administration centre (PPV) in Kampar, Perak was briefly overcrowded yesterday after a viral message on social media said all those above 40 who had yet to receive their first Covid-19 vaccination dose can do so after getting a permission slip from the government clinics.

Sin Chew Daily reported yesterday that many came with their permission slips in the afternoon, causing a sharp surge of visitors which led to police personnel having to attend the scene to maintain order.

An unnamed volunteer told the Chinese-language newspaper that those without a permission slip also came to try their luck, adding pressure to the already crowded PPV.

Malaysiakini understands that the situation at the PPV today has returned to normal.

Commenting on the issue, Keranji assemblyperson Chong Zhemin clarified that the PPV located at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (Utar) Kampar campus had a daily vaccine administration capacity of 1,200 doses.

However, they had 400 extra doses available yesterday, with no corresponding appointments on MySejahtera.

This, he said, led the Kampar District Health Office to issue additional slots by letting those who fit the criteria apply for permission slips from government clinics and get their vaccination on the same day.

Keranji assemblyperson Chong Zhemin

“Anyone above 40 years old can get the slips at the government clinic. Once you get the slip and (the health official) stamped it, you can get vaccinated.

"If you’re below 40 and with medical conditions, you can also get the slip,” Chong told Malaysiakini.

However, he admitted that not everything went as planned.

He criticised those who did not read the information from health authorities properly and made their own assumptions, saying those without permission slips should not have turned up at the PPV.

Nonetheless, he defended the Kampar District Health Office’s initiative to vaccinate more people.

“The situation was a bit hectic yesterday but at the end of the day, I think it’s still a good arrangement by the District Health Office to increase the vaccination rate.

“So whoever didn’t get the slip and went to (the PPV), it shouldn’t be the District Health Office's responsibility.

“It had already conveyed the right information, and those who didn’t get the slip and went to Utar, these people are the culprits,” Chong added.

Commending efforts by the health authorities to vaccinate more people, Chong said great care was taken to avoid overcrowding at the PPV when the District Health Office issued the additional slots, and a schedule was given to each of the additional recipients to attend their vaccination accordingly.

“If everybody had followed the rules, everything (would have been) fine," he added. - Mkini