OPERATION Surge Capacity to ensure every adult in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor gets their first Covid vaccine dose by month end must be executed without a hitch, said Ong Kian Ming.

The Bangi MP tasked with coordinating the programme said it is crucial for all parties to set politics aside and work together for the operation’s success.
 
“All details must be worked out next week, before the OSC begins full force on July 26.

“We must work together to bring down the number of Covid-19 cases and more importantly, those with serious cases need to be hospitalised and put in the intensive care units,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, Khairy Jamaluddin announced the government’s aim of inoculating 6.1 million people in the Klang Valley with at least one jab by August 1.

The coordinating minister for the national vaccine programme said to achieve the target, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor will each have to administer 272,000 doses daily between July 26 and August 1.

Ong said there is much work to be done to prepare for the ramp up to 1.3 million doses that will be administered in those few days.

He said 500,000 doses will be set aside for factory workers, half each for Selangor’s Selvax and the International Trade and Industry Ministry’s (Miti) public-private partnership industrial Covid-19 immunisation programme (Pikas).

“This means that the daily capacity in the Klang Valley will have to be increased from 180,000 doses now (July 14 to 18) to 210,000 doses (July 19 to 25), and then to at least 272,000 doses from July 26 to August 1.”

Ong said capacity will be boosted in the government vaccination centres as well as the Selvax and Pikas sites.

“Miti and Selcare (which runs the Selvax programme) will have to coordinate to minimise overlap between companies which want to get their workers vaccinated during OSC.

“There also needs to be clear communication by Miti and Selcare for those companies which have signed up for both programmes and those who have yet to sign up for any programme.”

For example, those who can afford to pay should sign up for Selvax while those who cannot pay should wait to apply for Pikas, he said.

“More Pikas and Selvax Industry vaccination sites may have to be opened to cater to the increase in the number of vaccinations.

“Selcare will also have to work with MySejahtera to push for those who have been vaccinated under the Selvax programme to have their MySejahtera status updated as soon as possible so that these individuals won’t be allocated slots by MySejahtera to go for their vaccination appointments.”

He said it is vital that MySejatera updates its database to reflect Selvax vaccinations for OSC to achieve its objectives.