THE proposal for the Government to allow private hospitals to procure and administer vaccines from different sources to complement the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme is a laudable move that should be taken into serious consideration.
The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has further pointed out that private hospitals strongly felt that the Government needs help as the three-stage immunisation is expected to end only in February next year. This expected timeline is too long and not acceptable.
Science, Technology and Innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin previously told health news portal CodeBlue that while there were no immediate provisions for private hospitals to buy and run their own vaccination programmes, it was a proposal that the Government would consider at a later stage.
To echo the words of APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh, private hospitals could be mobilised very fast to complement the Government’s effort in ensuring that the majority of the population is vaccinated in the shortest possible time to assist in achieving herd immunity.
“This will include utilising the government-endorsed track and trace system to build a database on the provision of vaccinations,” he said.
What’s more, every patient that is vaccinated in the private sector is one less patient that the Government has to pay for.
That being said, private vaccinations will increase the existing coverage of the Government’s vaccination programme and ensure that those free doses go to those most in need.
Under the Government roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines, several parties have expressed their frustration over the fact that the public cannot choose the vaccine that they want.
Allowing the public to decide on their choice of vaccine would be, to quote Khairy, a ‘big logistical nightmare’, after all.
The private sector’s involvement in this matter can help provide vaccine recipients with that choice, which will certainly be a boon for people who have a specific idea of which vaccine they want, and are willing to pay for it.
In short, it would be a win-win for all parties involved: the Government, the private hospitals, and most importantly, the vaccine recipients. – Mar 4, 2021
Photo credit: CNBC
