KUANTAN: The slow vaccine delivery rate to Pahang is hampering the state's progress under the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP).
State Works, Transport and Health exco chairman Datuk Seri Norol Azali Sulaiman (BN-Guai) said huge quantities of vaccines have been allocated for Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPV) in the Klang Valley.
He said Pahang has the capacity to accelerate its vaccination rate if it is allocated the vaccines.
"There are no issues with PPVs or vaccinators but Pahang has received less supplies compared to the vaccines distributed in the Klang Valley. Pahang has the capacity to administer up to 32,000 vaccine doses daily and we have 176 PPVs.
"Pahang has no major problems with speeding up the vaccination process. The only setback is the delays in vaccine arrival here," he said during the winding up speech by Chow Yu Hui (DAP- Bilut) at the state assembly sitting here today.
Chow had urged the state government to boost the vaccination process before Norul Azali cleared the air on the slow vaccination process in Pahang.
Norol Azali hoped that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's recent announcement that Malaysia has purchased an additional six million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will help ramp up the vaccination process in Pahang.
On Aug 22, Ismail Sabri announced an additional purchase of six million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, which will arrive early next month.
Meanwhile Norul Azali said three hospitals in Pahang received RM10.2 million from the federal government to purchase medical equipment to allow them to step up the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here received RM4.8 million, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh received RM3.8 million and Kuala Lipis Hospital were handed RM 1.6 million to provide better healthcare services.
"There has been a sudden surge in Stage 4 and 5 Covid-19 patients in the intensive care units (ICU) in the three hospitals. The move to purchase medical equipment will allow these hospitals to provide better treatment and services to patients," he said, replying to Chow during the question and answer session.
"There are 11 hospitals throughout Pahang but only four offer ICU facilities with a total capacity of 107 beds," he said, adding that as of Aug 20, Pahang has 394 Covid-19 deaths including 166 individuals who died in the ICUs.
