Press Release: Where Are Our Vaccines ?

For Immediate Release

28th May 2021

WHERE ARE OUR VACCINES ? URGENT NEED FOR COVID-19 VACCINES TO BE MAKE AVAILABLE FOR APPROVED PRIVATE MEDICAL HOSPITALS / MEDICAL CENTERS / MEDICAL CLINICS TO SPEED UP NATIONAL IMMUNISATION IN MALAYSIA

We, the citizens from Malaysia, are very concern about the staggering increment in daily new Covid-19 figures. Malaysia today recorded a daily new Covid-19 figure that exceeds the 8,000 threshold for the first time. This brings Malaysia to a total of 549,514 Covid-19 cases so far. On the ground, it is clear that the actual number of daily new cases is clearly way above the confirmed 7000 plus – 8000 plus per day. It is an accepted fact that for every confirmed case, there would be 3 to 10 undetected cases in the community. We are at war. The nation cannot afford any mishap any longer. Malaysian Citizens must not be put through to somewhat “begging for vaccines”. Where is our collective dignity !

One does not need to look far to witness that the morale on the ground, the fighting spirits of the front-liners are waning as we speak. Almost daily, one can witness insensible measures melted out on the community. The public are already stress out from the flip-flopping measures melted out, fines are given out to common folks that seemed to violate SOPs yet well-known people get away scot-free when they openly violate the SOPs. The public at large are confused as to who, what and where to follow in this war-like crisis. Double-standard measures bred anger.

Mortuaries are overflowing and containers are now commissioned daily in the Government hospitals to keep the dead. One death is too many, however in this critical situation, we witness many increasing daily deaths due to COVID-19. Not to mention, burden of other diseases. To this grim scenario, you can add the increasing number of patients brought in dead on arrival and the unaccounted number of excess deaths in any area. The scene is horrifying! Yet, we have ministers still behaving nonchalantly. Some came up with indigenous ideas of super vaccine centres, mobile vaccine trucks (for urbanised KL, where there is a clinic in virtually every corner) and more prickly apps and platforms that do not work when needed, and to make things worse, the tax-payers have paid an enormous RM 70 million for the app ! What a waste of time, resources and money !

The present overcrowding and long wait in massive vaccination centres itself is potentially a super-spreader opportunity for the virus. Not to mention – besides COVID-19, there are plenty of urgent medical cases that remain back-logged as such. What about unfortunate cancer patients that are currently going through chemotherapy, patients awaiting elective surgeries etc the culmination of resources solely on COVID-19, would put these vulnerable communities at even greater risks as time goes on.

We are at war. We may lose several battles but this is a war that we cannot afford to lose.

The simple way forward is – ENSURE VACCINATION FOR ALL IN A SPEEDY MANNER.

Speed is the key to overcome the spread of the virus. We need to have more centres for the population to get their vaccine including all Klinik Kesihatan, all hospitals and all GP clinics. It is also not necessary to have a digitalised system that is not able integrate all the moving parts. Previously, We, healthcare professionals on the ground have been struggling with complying to ever changing rules to notify various bodies with COVID-19 positive patients, when all it takes is for the various departments to talk to each other. Now, similarly, We do not need high tech Apps that are not in sync with one another. All we need is a direct and simplified process. We just need people to go to their doctors and have their vaccination done under trained hands and watchful eyes. That’s all it takes.

The UK or US do not have a computerised system. The NHS rolled it out to all their GPs. They just give a card after vaccination and they have done it and succeeded. This is similar to the situation in the US. The 7000 or more GPs, private specialists and the thousands of Klinik Kesihatan across the nation can easily vaccinate enough patients daily and together with the private hospitals, can achieve critical mass in a very record time. All the Government needs to do is to deliver efficiently, the vaccines to all of them. This can be done by existing pharmaceutical distributors who have the capability and the capacity to do so. Most of private medical centres and clinics have complied to the requirements set by the government for vaccination as far back as 1 or 2 months ago, yet they are still waiting for the green-light from the government to take part in the immunisation programme. There is no need to have CKAPS to inspect and to approve GP clinics for vaccination. They are all already registered under the PHFSA and GPs have been giving vaccines long before some of our policy makers were born.

Recently, the videos and sights on social media about Malaysians rushing and fighting for vaccination – this should never be allow to happen. Elderly patients having their vaccinations appointments change at the last minute is regrettable. There are also news about vaccination centres that are located too far away for people to get to. The current system is flawed, cumbersome and is broken. Patients should be allowed to see the doctor nearest their home, get assessed, vaccinated and then have the information immediately updated either into their MySejahtera or at the very least, given a vaccination card. It is just this simple.

On behalf of all concerned healthcare professionals and communities, we urge the policy makers to immediately relook their approach and to streamline it to make it more accessible and convenient to the tax-payers. One death is too many. Many lives are at stake.

DR KRIS SEE KS

MEDICAL DIRECTOR / CHIEF CLINICAL & INNOVATIVE SCIENTIST

On behalf of Management, Board Of Directors & All Concerned Staffs

Osel Group

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