PAY private clinics more to administer Covid-19 vaccines so that more general practitioners will join the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, former prime minister Najib Razak said.

This will in turn lower the risk of mega-infections at vaccination centres, he said on Facebook today after news that 204 workers at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) vaccination centre in Shah Alam tested positive for Covid-19.

“Mega-PPVs means a greater risk for a new mega-cluster. We can lower the risk by including private clinics.

“It is easier and comfortable because many of us know where these clinics are located.”

But he claimed that many private clinics are reluctant to join government’s immunisation programme as the payment given is low.

“Not many are interested to be part of the vaccination programme because the payment is low.”

“I suggest the government increase its payment to private clinics from RM14 per shot to RM20. This will speed up the herd immunity target,” he said.

GPs are paid RM14 per dose by ProtectHealth, a not-for-profit company under the Health Ministry.

If all the 7,000 private clinic nationwide join the government’s immunisation programme, daily vaccine doses given can be increased to at least 500,000 shots a day, Najib added.

“If two to three people are stationed to give vaccine at each clinic, they can give at least 100 doses a day. Seven thousand clinics would mean 700,000 doses in one day.”

More than 400,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were administered yesterday, the highest number of daily vaccinations given since the vaccination programme began in February. – July 13, 2021.