PwD vaccine recipients given special treatment at UMK PPV

BACHOK: Various facilities such as wheelchairs, fast lanes and special rooms are being provided for the comfort of people with disabilities (PwD) at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Vaccination Centre (PPV) here.

UMK PPV chief coordinator Dr Nurul Husna Abu Bakar said as soon as a PwD arrives at the centre, volunteers from the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) or UMK students will help them with the wheelchairs and they would be directed to the special lane.

"After they have gone through the registration process, they (PwD) will be ushered to a special air-conditioned room to see that they are comfortable and speedily attended to.

"We have ensured that there are sufficient number of wheelchairs for use and the process to get the vaccine is much faster for the group through four counters," she told Bernama when met at UMK PPV here today.

Dr Nurul Husna said since the PPV was opened on May 27, almost 15,000 recipients had been vaccinated, including the elderly, the disabled and people in the adult group.

Meanwhile, the PPV's Rapid Lane Unit head Dr Nazmi Shakri said daily between 40 and 60 people from the elderly and vulnerable group had been coming to the centre and most of them had registered through MySejahtera application.

"We plan to hold a PwD Outreach Programme for 89 individuals from three rehabilitation centres in the Bachok district and the programme is to be held at the Bachok District Health Office (PKD)," he said.

Meanwhile, a vaccine recipient from the PwD group, Drawi@ Md Arif Abdul Latif, 75, from Kampung Kok Lintang Gunong said, the whole process through the special lane took him only about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

"A doctor was also present to brief us on the importance of getting vaccinated, the possible side effects and steps to take should we suffer adverse reaction after getting the vaccine shots," he said.

-- BERNAMA