THE public vaccination project, which began about two weeks ago, is indeed a timely response on the part of the government to control the Covid-19 pandemic and to achieve the desired herd immunity of 80%.
However, one cannot help noticing that the emphasis seems to be on Malaysians having touch-screen smartphones to register themselves via the MySejahtera application.
Such an approach, though it may seem as intending to expedite the registration process, actually excludes those who do not have smartphones or similar gadgets, and those who do not know how to use these devices to register themselves, particularly senior citizens.
There are many B40 Malaysians living in low-cost apartments and flats who do not have these sophisticated mobile digital devices.
Moreover, Malaysians with special needs, irrespective of their age, may also not have access to vaccine registration.
We would request the government to provide multiple access channels for registration by asking the Ministry of Health to open customer service counters in all public hospitals and health clinics countrywide, and assign staff to register all those who do not have smartphones, as well as those with special needs who need assistance.
Prof S. Venkateswaran
Secretary-General
Building Management Association of Malaysia
