Ministry wants 100,000 Neighbourhood Watch members to register for Covid-19 shot

The National Unity Ministry is targeting 100,000 members of the Neighbourhood Watch, especially the elderly, to register for the Covid-19 vaccination under the National Immunisation Programme within two weeks.

Its minister, Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique, said 62,256 Neighbourhood Watch Community members out of a total of 248,000 had registered to receive the vaccination.

Halimah said campaigns had begun to encourage Neighbourhood Watch members to register for the vaccination, adding that the ministry hoped it could achieve the target.

She said this after the signing of a note of cooperation between the Neighbourhood Watch and the Health Ministry here yesterday. Present was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

On March 29, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the second phase of the immunisation exercise for the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill would begin on April 19, adding that the appointment notice would be given beginning April 5, two weeks before the appointment date via the MySejahtera app, a telephone call and short messaging service.

Halimah said Neighbourhood Watch members would be mobilised, especially in rural areas that did not have good Internet access, to help people register for the country’s largest vaccination programme.

In Dungun, Deputy Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said two million people living in rural areas have registered for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

He said the number represented only one third of the rural population and the ministry was trying its best to get the rest of them on board with the help of its agencies.

“A total of 191 Rural Community Centres now play the role of helping people in rural areas to register as Covid-19 vaccine recipients. The name list of those who have registered will be submitted to the Health Ministry.”

He said this after officiating at the Central Terengganu Development Authority Excellent Service Award 2020 ceremony here yesterday. Present were its chairman Datuk Razali Idris and managing director Tengku Ahmad Nadzri Tengku Musa.

Rahman also urged various quarters, including non-governmental organisations, to help the government in getting more rural people to register.