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KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 22): Health Director General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has clarified that he is not the one behind the decision to stop private clinics from administering Covid-19 vaccines.
He said he had in fact called for increasing the participation of general practitioners (GPs) in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) via the Health Ministry-owned ProtectHealth Corporation (PHCorp).
“Contrary to my proposal to increase the participation of GPs in the country under PHCorp,” Dr Noor Hisham said in a tweet reply to Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago. “I have visited the GP practice myself and am happy with the progress made.”
Charles had issued a statement yesterday, questioning the National Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force's (CITF) decision to close five vaccination administration centres (PPVs) in Klang.
The lawmaker, in a tweet later, asked Dr Noor Hisham as to the reason for “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,” asked Charles.
Dr Noor Hisham, in his response, added: “PHCorp and myself are supportive of the GPs' involvement. Vaccination can bridge the gap between the public and private health system as we progress. We need to solve this issue together.”
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), in a statement yesterday, said it is puzzled as to why the CITF decided to stop vaccination appointments at the 741 private clinics, private hospitals and ambulatory care centres with effect from Aug 23.
“These healthcare facilities were given only 48 hours notice by the CITF,” MMA president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said.
Subramaniam said the task force should actually be roping in the 8,000 private GPs nationwide for the final lap of the NIP.