Masiung Banah
KOTA KINABALU: The State Government needs to take steps to increase its supply of vaccines in Sabah so that its vaccination program can proceed smoothly.
Kuamut Assemblyman, Datuk Masiung Banah, in making the suggestion, opined that the State Government must have a contingency plan ready if the vaccine supplied by the Federal Government is insufficient.
He pointed out that because of the insufficient supply, the vaccination programme at several hospitals and vaccination centres in Sabah had to be delayed.
“The State Government needs to purchase the vaccine so as to not solely depend on the Federal Government (for the supply).
The insufficient supply had caused several outreach programs in the interior of Sabah to be postponed and delayed the target to achieve herd immunity,” said Masiung.
The Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority (LPPB) Chairman also urged the State Government to provide a free Covid-19 screening test for Sabahans.
“The ceiling price for a Covid-19 screening test is between RM30 and RM250 which not many Sabahans can afford to pay. The people are already burdened as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and many have in fact lost their source of income.
“By making the screening test free of charge, the State Government is helping to ease the burden of the rakyat Sabah,” he said in a statement today.
Masiung said efforts to curb the spread of the virus must be intensified as Malaysia is among the 10 countries in the world that has a high record of infections.
