IN light of the recent empty syringe episode, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran has urged the Government to take the people’s concerns seriously and institute additional safeguards such as CCTVs to record the vaccination process and consider hiring independent auditors to ensure such situations do not recur in the future.
He was referring to the case of the 12-year-old boy who had been injected with an empty syringe by a nurse at the Universiti Malaya vaccination centre (PPV) on Sept 30.
“At the most basic level, this begs the question of why there is more than one syringe lying on the table in front of the nurse,” Rajiv said.
“Used syringes should have been disposed of immediately after use, and new ones should be opened one at a time.
“Citing ‘human error’ and defending the nurse as having made an ‘honest mistake’ is unacceptable, as this incident has also happened to many others in the last few months, and I wonder how many other incidents have gone unnoticed.”
In many instances, said Rajiv, the parents do not accompany their children to the vaccination centre as they have already given prior consent via the school authorities.
“The onus is not on the parents but rather on the Health Ministry (MOH) to enforce its standard operating procedures (SOPS) properly,” he added.
Rajiv further pointed out that vaccinators should ensure that only the syringe being used is on the table to avoid any confusion in the first place.
“By claiming that it was ‘human error’ is unsatisfactory and completely trivialises the seriousness of the situation.”
In addition to instituting additional safeguards and hiring independent auditors, Rajiv also suggested that the Government ensure that the vaccinators are not overworked to the extent that they are fatigued and weary when carrying out their responsibilities.
“The vaccination process is a matter of national importance and requires constant monitoring to ensure its success,” he pointed out.
“Malaysians have shown their commitment in getting vaccinated. The MOH must play its part to ensure that every vaccine injection is done properly and professionally.” – Oct 4, 2021.
