I’m no lame duck, says Penang health exco

 

Penang health committee chairman Norlela Ariffin said she has worked hard to get more vaccines for the state through negotiations with Putrajaya. (Facebook pic)

GEORGE TOWN: A Penang executive councillor fired back at backbenchers today over insinuations that she was not doing enough for the state amid a vaccine shortage and surge in Covid-19 cases.

State health committee chairman Norlela Ariffin (PH-Penanti) told the state assembly that prior to an announcement that one million doses were headed to Penang this month, she and the state health department had been fighting with Putrajaya daily for vaccines and other needs.

“I’m the only state health exco in the country to be part of the CITF (Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force). I have been asking for vaccines daily, but people are saying that I’m a lame duck exco for not doing Penang’s bidding. It is unfair,” she said during her winding-up speech.

Norlela said this after she was hounded by backbenchers Lee Chun Kit (PH-Pulau Tikus) and Satees Muniandy (PH-Bagan Dalam), who said they were not happy with her explanation on brought-in-dead (BID) cases, among others.

Lee said Norlela should not “follow the federal government’s saga” over inaccurate numbers, telling her: “I hope the state government and you, in your role as exco, take your own initiative and not follow the federal government only.”

Norlela had earlier said there were seven BID cases “under CAC”, referring to Covid-19 assessment centres, where suspected cases are sent besides those under home surveillance.

Satees had asked Norlela if by CAC, she meant the BID numbers were for those who were quarantined at home but were found dead later. Norlela kept repeating her earlier answers, which appeared to have annoyed him and Lee.

Norlela ignored the duo’s badgering and said she had worked hard to get more vaccines for the state through negotiations with Putrajaya and a pledge of 200,000 vaccines worth RM30 million by the Selangor government as a loan.

She said the one million doses announced for Penang today were also thanks to intense lobbying by the Penang health department and her through countless meetings.

Norlela said, as a result, 1,015,500 vaccine doses would be delivered to Penang this month, of which, 760,500 would be Pfizer doses, 200,000 Sinovac doses, 40,000 AstraZeneca doses and 15,000 CanSino doses.

Later, assembly speaker Law Choo Kiang said that while there were many concerns and proposals, public health remained a joint responsibility of the federal and state governments under the Federal Constitution.

“Hence, we have to be fair to those responsible. Not all can get their way in the federal-state mechanism. Those who have proposals can continue to do so outside this House, the forum on this matter does not end here,” he said after repeated interjections by assemblymen on Covid-19 matters.

Recently, Lim Guan Eng (PH-Air Putih) sounded off “state officials” for not doing enough to ensure there were no vaccine shortages after several vaccination centres had to be closed due to a lack of supply. - FMT