HEALTH director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has said that the decision to stop administering vaccines at private clinics was done against his advice.
In a tweet last night, he said that he had proposed to increase the participation of General Practitioners (GPs) in the country under ProtectHealth Corporation (PHCorp), and that he was satisfied with the progress made by these GPs.
“Contrary to my proposal to increase the participation of GPs in the country under PHCorp. I have visited the GP practice myself and (I am) happy with the progress made,” he wrote.
Noor Hisham was responding to Klang MP Charles Santiago, who questioned the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force’s (CITF) decision to stop vaccination appointments at 741 private clinics, several private hospitals and ambulatory care centres in Selangor.
“What’s the motive: @DGHisham? Stopping vaccination appointments at 741 GPs and closing critically needed PPVs arbitrarily in the Klang Valley. Are we facing vaccines shortages? Or just the usual planning failure,” Santiago tweeted.
Yesterday, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) President Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy had urged the Government to rope in the 8,000 private GPs nationwide for the National Immunisation Programme’s (NIP) final lap towards achieving herd immunity.
Subramaniam had expressed his puzzlement over the fact that the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) had abruptly decided to stop vaccination appointments at 741 private GP clinics, several private hospitals and ambulatory care centres in Selangor.
According to Subramaniam, there are 741 private clinics in the Klang Valley participating in the NIP (250 in KL, 491 in Selangor).
He pointed out that the affected healthcare facilities were given 48-hour notices by CITF to cease vaccination administrations.
“Such policies of use when need and dump when not needed will not augur well and discourage other GPs from participating,” Subramaniam had warned. – Aug 22, 2021.
