Malacca vaccine centres shut on Sundays, despite hospital struggling to cope

 

Malacca Covid-19 vaccination centres are still largely not operating on Sundays, in sharp contrast to the reports of a severe shortage of beds at the Malacca Hospital due to a rise in Covid-19 infections.

The Sunday lull in Malacca is despite the assurance by the minister in charge of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP), Khairy Jamaluddin, that vaccine centres nationwide would operate seven days a week once fresh vaccine supplies arrive in July.

Over the past two Sundays of July, Malacca only dispensed 30 first doses of the life-saving vaccines, data published by the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) showed.

This is worse than the month before when only 601 doses were administered on Sundays, of which all but two were the last Sundays of June.

In contrast, neighbouring state Negeri Sembilan administered 27,791 doses on the four Sundays of June and the two Sundays of July to date.

On weekdays though, Malacca's 19 vaccination centres administered thousands of doses, reaching just more than 10,000 on Tuesday.

Up to July 13, 30.1 percent of adults in Malacca have received their first dose, while 15 percent have received both doses.

Malacca is not the only state or territory where vaccination centres took a weekend break since the start of the NIP in February.

However, it is now the only state where this practice persists despite a boost in national vaccine supplies this month, CITF data shows.

The Sunday shutdown in Malacca also contrasts with the strides made by the NIP, which now boasts vaccination rates of at least 300,000 a day.

This week more than 400,000 doses a day have been administered nationwide, every day.

Last Sunday, Khairy took to social media to show how Malaysia's vaccination rate exceeded the United Kingdom's at its peak.

At its peak, the UK was administering 0.89 doses per 100 people on average, while Malaysia is now vaccinating at 1.09 doses per 100 people.

Patients put in stores and tents

Malacca is among several states currently experiencing high rates of infectivity.

Yesterday, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the infectivity rate for Malacca was 1.12, slightly lower than the national rate of 1.14.

An infectivity rate higher than one indicates that the infection is spreading at an exponential level.

Last week, Malacca executive councillor in charge of health, Rahmad Mariman, said some 91 percent of the 400 beds meant for Covid-19 patients in Malacca Hospital were filled.

"Almost all of the space in Malacca Hospital has been used for treatment, including all zones in the Emergency Department, meeting rooms and stores, while tents have been mounted in the ambulance parking lot to accommodate Covid-19 patients," Rahmad was quoted as saying by Bernama.

He said to ease the burden, an Armed Forces field hospital that could accommodate at least 100 Covid-19 patients would be set up at the Jasin Hospital soon. - Mkini