By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, May 8: Health clinics in the rural areas should be allowed to serve as Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPV) in efforts to accelerate the vaccination process, said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
Besides, according to him, the rural community may not need to travel far away to come to Long Lama to get vaccinated when they can get the vaccines from the rural health clinics nearby to their areas.
“In order to reach herd immunity, we must allow those clinics (health clinics) to provide Covid-19 vaccination so that people in the rural areas are not left behind in the effort,” he said when met after visiting the PPV at SJKC Kee Tee in Long Lama today.
Dennis said that health clinics within Telang Usan, such as in Long Bedian, Long Kevoc, Long Naah or Long Pillah should serve as the Covid-19 vaccination centres to enable those residing nearby these clinics to be vaccinated.
At the moment, people around Telang Usan would have to drive to Long Lama in order to get vaccinated.
“Most of them have spent more than RM300 just to travel to Long Lama from their respective longhouses to get vaccinated,” Dennis explained.
He pointed out, in order to reach the PPV in Long Lama, villagers who live around the area have to drive through muddy, uneven roads besides enduring the journey by boat ride.
Today (Saturday), a total 282 people in Long Lama, including two senior citizens in their 80’s, received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the second phase of the vaccination programme.
Second dose vaccination will be done on May 29.
Also present were Baram MP Anyi Ngau and Telang Usan district officer Baru Tai. — DayakDaily
