By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Feb 24: Sarawak will embark on the biggest single operation for 2021 which is the vaccination programme slated to be launched on Feb 26.
Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the vaccination programme will be the largest ever activity implemented by the state government and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will be launching it on Friday (Feb 26).
“Our vaccine from Kuala Lumpur will be arriving this evening (Feb 24).
“Chief Minister (Datuk Patinggi) Abang Johari will start the launching on Friday, one day earlier.
“Because as soon as we get the vaccine, we want to vaccinate as fast as possible, as many people as possible and as soon as possible,” he said during a webinar organised by the Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) today.
Among those who joined the webinar include SBF deputy president Datuk Philip Ting, Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Chambers (DUBS) chairman Datu Abang Helmi Ikhwan, Sarawak Economic Planning Unit director Dr Muhummad Abdullah Zaidel, Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) president Audry Wan Ullok and Borneo Medical Centre board of management chairman Dr John Chew.
Earlier on, State Health director Dr Chin Zin Hing revealed that the first phase of the vaccination programme which involved 40,000 frontliners will start on Feb 27 (Saturday).
He added a total of 56 vaccine centres have been identified for the purpose throughout Sarawak including the Bau Hospital, Lundu Hospital, Singai Health Clinic, Batu Kawa Health Clinic, Jalan Masjid Health Clinic, Petra Jaya Health Clinic, Tanah Putih Health Clinic and Sarawak General Hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim noted that more than 200 million people worldwide have been inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine.
He observed the number of side effects for the Covid-19 vaccine was low.
Citing positive feedback from the Covid-19 vaccination programme in some foreign countries such as the United Kingdom, Israel and the US, he believed Sarawak will be no different as compared to the foreign countries which have started their vaccination exercises.
On the positive side, Dr Sim said Sarawak is ahead of some countries in rolling out its vaccination programme and implemented it almost at the same time as Australia and New Zealand. —DayakDaily
