Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Civil Defence Force (APM) has no problems mobilising its 200 members, who are involved in the existing Agen Basmi Covid-19 (ABC-19) duty, to carry out vaccination registration in remote areas.
Its Director Colonel Sharudin Md. Zain said the force is also ready to increase its manpower to 400, if needed, to assist in ensuring people in rural areas get vaccinated.
“Our personnel will help in the registration of senior citizens, the disabled and other high-risk citizens in this immunisation programme.
“At the moment, I am waiting for official instructions (with regards to deployment and coverage areas) from the APM headquarters in Sungai Merab, Bangi, which is expected to be issued tomorrow,” he told NST when contacted, Sunday.
On Saturday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions), Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof announced some 10,000 APM members and volunteers would be mobilised to help in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
The group would be deployed to rural areas nationwide to help communities register for the vaccination, either via the MySejahtera application or manually.
Sharudin said further discussions would be carried out with other relevant agencies to address the main challenges of the immunisation programme registration.
Among the challenges, he said, are the lack of coverage to access the MySejahtera application in rural areas and the challenge to bring villagers to vaccination centres on a date yet to be determined.
In Kampung Matanggal in the Paitan district, villagers have yet to register for the Covid-19 vaccine.
While they understand the risks of infection, Matanggal Village Community Management Council (MPKK) Chief Jason Will, 35, said villagers were sceptical over the Covid-19 vaccine.
“We hope the relevant agencies or health officials would go to the ground and brief the rural villagers.
“This should be done as soon as possible to encourage rural folks to take up the Covid-19 vaccine and help them with the registration process. The negative news about Covid-19 vaccination has created fear among villagers, with many unsure whether to get inoculated,” he said.
In Kudat, Kampung Tinangol villagers were also having doubts about the Covid-19 vaccine and would prefer the health department conduct a briefing with the community over the matter.
Tinangol Village Chief Mangambai Sasam said having direct engagement would help the rural community to have a better understanding on the government’s inoculation programme.
“Villagers could also ask questions on the spot and get immediate responses or explanations from the experts.
“Furthermore, not many rural villagers are tech savvy and illiterate. They just don’t know how to go about registering via mobile applications or other means,” he said.
