ALOR SETAR, Aug 2 — The Kedah state government will expand and improve its vaccination facilities after the state managed to obtain more vaccine supplies from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).
Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said Kedah received 226,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine a week compared to 80,000 doses previously, hence the state government through the COVID-19 Immunisation Special Task Force (CITF) needed to speed up the vaccination process in the state.
“We will open a mega vaccination centre (PPV) at SP Sport Centre (in Sungai Petani) with a capacity of 5,000 doses per day in collaboration with ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, making it the largest integrated PPV in Kedah. The PPV will start operating on August 6,” he said in a statement here today.
He said state CITF will also upgrade the public PPV at Dewan Kenangan in Sungai Petani to a mega integrated PPV starting August 11, adding that the state government would review the proposal to set up more integrated PPVs in several locations as well as upgrade public PPVs in efforts to increase the number of shots for its people per day.
Muhammad Sanusi said the initiative would involve public healthcare and non-healthcare personnel, volunteers and the private sector.
He said besides setting up public PPVs at government as well as private clinics and health centres and integrated PPVs, Kedah has also initiated the COVID-19 Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) at Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) and Sungai Petani with daily doses of 3,000 and 5,000 per day respectively.
He said the state government is awaiting approval from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and MOSTI to open the third PIKAS in Jitra to vaccinate industrial workers in Alor Setar and Kubang Pasu.
“The integrated PPV in Langkawi is also operating at the maximum level, apart from a vaccination outreach programme in Bukit Malut and Pulau Tuba,” he added.
Muhammad Sanusi said, besides that, a mobile vaccination programme had been mobilised to vaccinate rural communities, adding with all these initiatives he was certain that 80 per cent of Kedah’s adult population would complete the COVID-19 vaccination regime by the end of October or early November.
