KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (CITF) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is confident that 80 per cent of Negri Sembilan’s residents will be immunised by October, two months ahead of schedule.
He said the state’s current daily vaccination rate stands at 7,000, and added that the government aims to raise it to 20,000 jabs by next month.
“Together with the delivery of 600,000 doses in July, and the addition of vaccination centres alongside existing ones, I am confident we can achieve an 80 per cent inoculation rate by the end of October, which is earlier than the scheduled month in December,” he said during a joint virtual press conference with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
Khairy who is also the science, technology and innovation minister said one of the steps taken to expand vaccination in the state is the opening of several industrial vaccination centres, known by their Malay abbreviation as PPVs, with the first at D’Tempat Country Club in Sendayan.
“This will involve several companies registered under the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme which is under the International Trade and Industry Ministry.
“The daily capacity of the PPV in D’Tempat Country Club is around 1,500. Similarly the mentri besar and myself have agreed to open up another industrial PPV at D’Cattleya in Senawang, which will begin operating sometime in the first couple of weeks of July,” he said.
Khairy said other industrial areas are also being looked at, including the ones in Rembau and Port Dickson.
The initial industrial PPVs will involve several big factories, such as semiconductor manufacturers, and from there proceed with several factories under Miti. At present 46 factories in Negri Sembilan involving 15,000 workers, have agreed to participate in the programme.
On his part, Aminuddin said the state currently has 13 health clinics, seven government hospitals, seven private hospitals, and 27 private general practitioner clinics that will be used as PPVs. Another eight PPVs are public centres.
“The Negri Sembilan government and the Health Ministry have agreed to increase the number of PPVs.
“These include an addition two more health clinic PPVs, seven public PPVs, 14 private general practitioner PPVs, seven mobile PPVs, and one tertiary education institution PPV, which will be situated in Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia at Nilai,” he said.