Rural folk from around Bengkoka fill forms to register for Covid-19 vaccination. — Bernama photo
PITAS (June 17): A Sabah cabinet member has expressed hope that the mobile vaccination programme will be expanded to remote areas in the state, especially in Pitas, so that the people in those areas could also be vaccinated, thus, ensuring the success of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
Sabah Assistant Rural Development Minister Harun Durabi said the move would facilitate access to the residents to get the vaccine as they were living quite a distance even from the nearest vaccination centre (PPV).
“I am discussing with relevant parties to have the mobile vaccination programme be expanded to the remote areas to facilitate the villagers who cannot come to the PPV,” said Harun, who is also the Bengkoka assemblyman.
He said this to Bernama after checking the implementation of the mobile vaccination programme for Mukim Mapan-Mapan at Kampung Bongkol multipurpose hall, about 23km from Pitas town yesterday.
Pitas is about 170km from Kota Kinabalu and has a population of 42,000, mostly relying on agriculture and fisheries as their source of livelihood.
Villagers from around Bengkoka Pitas wait to be vaccinated during the mobile vaccination programme. — Bernama photo
The mobile vaccination programme in the district is being held at four Mukim (subdistricts), two of which in Bengkoka, namely Mukim Pantai and Mukim Mapan-Mapan, and two others in Pitas, namely Mukim Pinggan-pinggan, and Mukim Telaga.
Harun said the response from the villagers had been encouraging so far and many had registered for vaccination.
Meanwhile, Pitas District officer Bakri Nanan said the vaccination exercise will be held continuously until the end of this year to increase the number of vaccines recipients in the district to 21,000 individuals. — Bernama