SIBU, June 19: Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee is using drive-through Covid-19 vaccination at 9th Brigade Infantry as the pilot project to launch the similar approach for the public.
Its coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee, in his Facebook live today, said the committee needs to firstly study the pros and cons of the drive-through vaccination at this army camp at Mile 14 Jalan Oya before implementing it for the public.
“We will use this drive-through vaccination at the army camp as the pilot project to launch a similar approach in Sibu. We will have to look at the pros and cons before making the decision,” he said.
He added that an in-depth study needed to be conducted if the drive-through approach is to be implemented here as there were many implications that needed to be looked into.
“For example, if a person comes early and could not enter the check-in point (as it is not his turn yet), so when he turns back, it will result in congestion,” he said.
The drive-through vaccination at 9th Brigade saw 400 soldiers including their family members receiving the vaccine today. Another 400 will have theirs tomorrow.
There were three lanes of 40 cars at one time. Each car can have a maximum of three recipients only.
From his visit to the drive-through vaccination at 9th Brigade today, the Nangka assemblyman observed it was done in an orderly manner with no traffic jam as the vaccination was only confined to the soldiers and their family members.
“The whole process was orderly and very impressive. The recipients did not have to come out of their cars to be jabbed. After receiving the vaccine, they waited in the car for between 15 to 30 minutes for any possible side effects before driving off,” he said.
He, however, said the dispensing of the first dose took a longer time as the recipients needed to go through a health check.
The vaccination today was based on appointment but for tomorrow, it will be on first-come-first-serve basis.
“I will go there again tomorrow to see the implications when it is an open one and not based on appointment,” he said.
Separately, he said the vaccination centre at the Civic Centre and University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) will be opened next week. This will be followed by the one at Lakis Hall (Sibu Islamic Welfare Trust Board) and four mobile centres at four longhouses.
The opening of these two new vaccination centres, he emphasised, was to achieve the target of administering 7,000 doses per day. The number of doses administered presently was between 4,000 to 5000. — DayakDaily
