YOURSAY | ‘The cumbersome process is slowing down the whole vaccination rollout.’

Following MMA's criticism, health GLC says it did engage GPs on vaccine programme

Dr Raman Letchumanan: Don't pretend you don't know what the real issue is about. We are not interested in the talk-shops, meetings, trainings and engagements you all had.

We want to know why till now, a sizeable number of general practitioners (GPs) are not administering the vaccine. Now we have government-linked companies (GLC) involved as middlemen in all kinds of things. What should have been a simple process has turned out to be a major screw-up.

First, on the supply of vaccine, why let private monopoly to clog up the system so much so the vaccines are slow in coming?

Secondly, the 8,000 GPs should have been involved from day one as the primary means of administering the vaccines. Yet minister in charge of vaccination programme Khairy Jamaluddin is focusing on mega PPVs (vaccination centres) with their additional costs, and related problems like crowding and transportation.

Don't you all have common sense? The PM says not enough money, but the more money is allocated, the more expensive and complicated the system becomes.

We are not begging to be vaccinated for free, all we want is a straightforward system of getting vaccinated using existing means and facilities. I don't mind paying and waiting for my turn to get vaccinated.

My dependents and I are in limbo because of the MySejahtera system. I rightfully declined a faraway centre, and the system says I need to re-enrol. When I will be allowed to do that, I don't know.

I think I will just cancel my bookings and wait for the time I can just walk up to my GP and get vaccinated. Whenever that happens, let it be. 

I am not going to fight the stupid idiotic system and people. It is more stressful than Covid-19 itself.

GPPPVblues: In my opinion, the whole process involving vaccination centres by GPs is too cumbersome, complicated with multi-step verifications and is labour intensive which inevitably slows down the whole rollout.

Forcing GPs and their staff to personally collect the vaccines instead of using the existing vaccine cold chain distributing network is an example of an antiquated bean counter mentality.

GPs have to provide a patient name list as well as verified collection form to the distribution centre, they also have to verify the expiry date of the vaccine, the quantity, the temperature record as well as an approved cold box with a data logger (all at own expenses) to store the vaccines.

Imagine this process multiply by thousands of GPs nationwide. Just the collection will take half a day to execute.

Meanwhile, who is going to attend to our regular patients? Also, with on-site vaccination centres (PPVs) in malls able to charge RM50 per pax to their tenants and others charging up to RM380 for Sinovac vaccine to companies, we are being paid a paltry RM14 per pax and are not allowed to charge any consultation fee or medical fee incurred.

We are forced to pay for all other expenses like hiring extra staff to man the various counters, overtime pay, locum doctor to cover days when staff are on leave, personal protective equipment, gloves and all treatment cost for an adverse event.

In reality, most if not all GP practices will suffer severe financial loss subsidising the whole rollout. Given the already precarious financial status of many GP clinics during this pandemic, this will be the doom of our practice.

If the Health Ministry really wants to use GPs as part of their PPV, they need to drastically simplify the whole process including the cumbersome appointment system and follow what is being done in the US and UK. Allow GPs to manage the whole selection and administration of the vaccine and get as many jabs into arms as possible.

Yes, there will be abuse and wastage in the process but in the face of a raging firestorm, the last thing you need is to count the number of buckets of water you are using to put out the fire. Whatever wastage in the vaccine distribution will pale into insignificance compared to the billions spent on each lockdown subsidies.

So Health Ministry, my humble suggestion is to decentralise PPVs, allow GPs to charge a nominal fee to cover their expenses and let us select our patients and jab as many of them as fast as possible.

123jump: Protecthealth, can you just simplify matters for us? Sell or supply the vaccines to the GPs. Organise the delivery, too.

Don't ask the GPs to collect the vaccines on a weekly basis. Don't ask them to buy expensive cooler boxes to collect the vaccines. Don't make things complicated.

In this pandemic crisis, many GPs are willing to administer the vaccine to the rakyat for free. Don't make it difficult.

BobbyO: Why are we so slow in administering the vaccine if all the GPs were invited?

Why is there another middleman involved in this system? Do we not have the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA)? Is it not the association that the Health Ministry deals with directly?

Aren’t the taxpayers paying enough for the medication supplied through another middleman? To Pharmaniaga?

God knows how many more middlemen are milking the taxpayers by supplying medication that could be bought at a cheaper price if the Health Ministry had dealt directly with suppliers.

Secondly, why would MMA make such a statement of not receiving a response from the Health Ministry if untrue? Who is lying?

BlueFish0451: This sounds so familiar. For every briefing a corporation holds and most likely subcontracts out, the government or attendees are charged. They would normally make it compulsory to attend. It is another money-making business instead of a problem-solving solution if nothing happens after that.

What the MMA meant by "no engagement" is that the GPs were not engaged to do the vaccination. Engagement is not just asking them to attend briefings.

A romantic dinner was held, a proposal was made but there was no wedding nor lovemaking to produce a baby, do you understand?

PinkCougar9549: By all means, fire the minister if he is not willing to lend a hand in allowing GPs to help out in our national vaccination programme. The minister is jeopardising the basic health welfare access to his citizens.

Singaporeans can now just walk in the vaccination centres and take a jab without registering and prior appointment.

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