MMA wants undocumented migrants included in vaccination drive

KUCHING: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged Putrajaya to ensure that no one is left behind in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP) in line with the Universal Health Coverage.

Its president Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said all population groups including Malaysia’s high undocumented migrant population must be included in the country’s vaccination drive.

“Undocumented migrants, due to their living conditions, have been identified as a high-risk group, therefore, every effort must be made to ensure they are inoculated in the quickest time possible,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Subramaniam said the MMA is deeply concerned as there are now more transmissible variants in the country.

He feared that hundreds of workers can be infected if any one worker is confirmed positive with the Delta variant.

“If this happens, hospitals may not be able to cope,” he warned.

According to him, Malaysia has an estimated two to three million undocumented migrants nationwide.

He observed that the majority are employed in the construction, manufacturing and plantation sectors.

“It is a known fact that Covid19 infections are recurring among migrant workers due to their living conditions, hence the most practical solution would be vaccinations.

“The Health Ministry and the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) has done well in increasing the vaccination rate, however, we are still far behind in vaccinating undocumented migrants,” he said.

Going forward, Dr Subramaniam called upon the government to engage with the foreign embassies concerned and the various human rights non-governmental organisations in reaching out to the country’s undocumented migrant population. He asserted that undocumented migrants must be given the reassurance that they will be helped and not harmed by the authorities.

“An amnesty may also need to be considered to get undocumented migrant workers and their employers to cooperate with the authorities.

“There is no doubt that enforcement is important in addressing the issue of illegal migration, however we are in a time of crisis where vaccinating the population is a more immediate need,” he added.