Covid-19: Protecthealth urges more private facilities to join vaccination programme

KUALA LUMPUR, (Bernama): ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd (ProtectHealth) is calling on more private medical facilities nationwide to immediately participate in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) by registering on the agency's website.

Chief executive officer Dr Anas Alam Faizli said the move was to facilitate the public in getting their vaccine shots at private clinics or hospitals near their homes and to expand the country's vaccination capacity.

He said the MySejahtera app would update the vaccination appointment date at a location nearest to the registered individual’s home address, depending on the vaccination centre capacity and fixed appointment dates.

"As such, the participation of more private facilities, whether in the urban or rural areas, will make it easier for the public to get vaccinated without having to travel far," he said in an online interview last night.

Dr Anas said as of Monday (June 21), almost 700 private clinics and 100 private hospitals have registered under PICK with the total daily vaccination capacity of 40, 000 doses.

"ProtectHealth aims to increase the number of private medical practitioners to between 2, 000 and 3, 000 before the end of August," he said.

Dr Anas said the target to increase the number of private medical facilities as vaccination centres or PPVs before the end of August was in accordance with the increased supply of Covid-19 vaccines expected to be delivered next month.

The increased participation of private clinics and hospitals in PICK before the end of August is also to meet the daily vaccination target of 400, 000 doses as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin earlier, he said.

ProtectHealth is a wholly-owned non-profit subsidiary of the Health Ministry which has been given the mandate to register, provide training, monitor quality, conduct analysis and reporting as well as make payments to all private medical practitioners involved in the immunisation programme.

It is the implementer of private medical practitioner participation in PICK to ensure Covid-19 vaccines are widely distributed and accessible to more people. - Bernama