Task force wants Phase 2 of vaccination programme to be run in orderly manner
SARIKEI: The Pakan District Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) has examined in depth all the means to ensure that the Covid-19 vaccination programme, which is set to enter Phase 2 by end of this month, would be conducted in a smooth, organised and people-friendly manner.
Pakan assemblyman Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom told The Borneo Post yesterday that various suggestions had been brought up for deliberation during a briefing session prior to a ‘gotong-royong’ (work party) conducted by the task force to clean up Pakan Community Hall, which would be used as one of the venues for the mass vaccination drives.
The other identified venues are SK Ulu Kota; SK Kedup, Pakan; Kemalih Health Clinic; Nanga Kara Health Clinic; and Nanga Entaih Health Clinic.
The task force had also discussed in depth the proposal to deploy Village Health Visiting Team (VHVT) to reach out to the people in the remote pockets.
The idea was welcomed by the committee members, especially the local community leaders from remote areas; however, the
final decision would be left to the discretion of the authorities concerned, Mawan said.
“Should the authority consider the VHVT viable and approve it, the medical staff would go to the longhouses to vaccinate the targeted group, instead of the other way round.
“The arrangement would not only be a great convenience to the people in remote areas, but also save them on transportation cost and other expenses.
“Nevertheless, it would incur high cost to deploy VHVT to remote areas as this may require a helicopter to transport them to the longhouses,” he added.
The ‘gotong-royong’ to clean up the community hall and other venues was a part of the preparation for Phase 2 of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, scheduled to kick off by the end of this month.
Phase 2 would focus on people in the high-risk category, especially senior citizens aged 60 and above, whereas Phase 3 would be slated for adults aged 18 and above, and is scheduled to kick off this endAugust.
Mawan also reminded the people of Pakan to check the status of their registration for the vaccination programme, and he also expressed hope that many more would be vaccinated in time to participate in this year’s ‘Pakan Fest’, initially slated for September.
Among the CITF members present were state administrative officer Yalin Asan who represented Pakan District Office, representatives of Pakan Health Clinic, Pakan District People’s Volunteers Corps officer Khairuzaki Zaman, local heads of various government departments, and also local community leaders.