By Ling Hui
KUCHING, July 2: Some 119 registered persons with special needs (OKU) with hearing impairment are getting their Covid-19 vaccination between today and Monday (July 5).
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said 87 of them are scheduled to be inoculated today and another 32 next Monday under the 2021 Sarawak Deaf Community Vaccination Programme.
She said the numbers represented those who were registered under the ministry, but more OKU with hearing loss or deafness in the community are welcomed to come forward to join in the campaign.
“After today, I believe those who are not (registered) under any clubs will come forward as well and we welcome them.
“We will take down their names and include them into the list at UTC (Urban Transformation Centre). Majority of the OKU community including the blind, those with autism, dysledxia and spinal cord injury has been vaccinated.
“Having said that, if there is anymore in the community who has not receive their vaccine jabs, please alert and inform us then we will coordinate, so that no one is left behind,” she said during her visit to the deaf community vaccination programme at the UTC here today.
As of June 30, Fatimah said the ministry managed to coordinate the vaccination for 520 OKU trainers and 276 supervisors under the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS), 1,424 OKUs at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), 516 individuals from the Agape Centre in Sibu, 363 in Miri, and 514 more at the Normah Medical Specialist Centre.
Another vaccination programme for the OKU at Normah, she added, has administered vaccines to 444 OKUs, 31 caretakers and 39 employees or nurses in public and private institutions for the specially educated, OKU athletes, plus those with dyslexia, autism and blindness.
Meanwhile, she also said 3,185 or 82 per cent of 3,879 teachers in kindergartens have been vaccinated not including another 2,058 or 89 per cent of 2,312 teaching assistants, as of July 1.
As for preschools, she noted 640 or 80 per cent of 803 caretakers and 137 or 89 per cent of 156 assistant caretakers have received their inoculation jabs.
In total, she said 6,021 or 84 per cent of total educators in preschools and kindergartens have been vaccinated, not including the data from preschools under the Malaysian Education Ministry.
Also present at the visit to UTC today was Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng. — DayakDaily
