THE government will not allow Covid-19 vaccination for the people to become an enterprise for profit, which will happen if private hospitals are permitted to buy and sell the shots, said director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

“The government is providing free vaccines for all. Private hospitals can help by vaccinating the population,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya.

Noor Hisham said the government will identify selected private hospitals to serve as vaccination centres. These will receive a supply of the doses to be administered for free.

“It is also a matter of equity as priority must be given to high risk and vulnerable groups as well as front-liners,” he said.

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia has asked  for its members to be allowed to buy and administer Covid-19 vaccines.

It said the national vaccination campaign would take an “extremely long and unacceptable” time to achieve its aim to inoculate 80% of the population by next February

Malaysia has ordered enough vaccines for 80% of the population. – March 4, 2021.