IPOH: The Perak and Kedah Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) is targeting 42,363 Orang Asli in Perak to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this year.

Its director Harulnizam Abd Rahman said so far a total of 2,181 Orang Asli in Perak had received the first dose of the vaccine jab while 1,337 had completed both doses via the eight COVID-19 Vaccination Outreach programmes for the Orang Asli community in the state starting at the Orang Asli One-Stop Centre in Sungai Siput on June 26.

"We acknowledge that so far the number of vaccine recipients is relatively low compared to their total (numbers). So to ensure this target is achieved, we will make sure this outreach programme is expanded immediately and may be implemented daily in the areas we have identified.

"However, at this time, our constraints are in terms of vaccine supply and we hope to facilitate this matter with the cooperation of and discussions with the Perak Health Department (JKN)," he told a press conference at the vaccination outreach programme for the Orang Asli community in Kampung Chadak, Ulu Kinta, here, today.

Earlier, a total of 204 Orang Asli around the village received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the second such programme conducted in the area.

Harulnizam admitted that during the initial stages there were constraints in explaining the importance of vaccination to the Orang Asli but the outreach programme has helped to increase the community's understanding and awareness of the matter.

Commenting on the programme's effectiveness, he said that it was the best platform to ensure that the Orang Asli received full vaccination despite facing various constraints, including registration problems through the MySejahtera application.

"We see here that they have a special route provided for vaccination. We also understand that some places (Orang Asli villages) do not have Internet access nor do they (residents) own handphones so they are not skilled in using (the) MySejahtera (application). So we do the registration process for the vaccination manually," he said.

Harulnizam also thanked the Perak government for giving its full cooperation to his team and the Perak JKN throughout the programme.

-- BERNAMA