RAVO: Estate workers willingly stand by roadside, in rain to get COVID vaccine jab

When they heard that a Rapid Assessment and Vaccination Operation (RAVO) project team, run by the Sabah Health Department, was in the neighbourhood to administer the vaccine jabs to the residents, they immediately took a 30-minute motorbike ride from their homes to wait for the team at Jalan Branko Serudung.

The RAVO team, which spotted them, stopped to ask them a few questions before giving them the vaccine jabs.

Wati Lancang, 45, was thankful to have been finally vaccinated.

"In August, I went to the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kalabakan vaccination centre (PPV) but could not be vaccinated due to my high blood pressure. I have been worried about the COVID-19 infection but am happy now to have gotten my vaccine shot," she said, here, yesterday.

Arif Appte, 45, meanwhile, thanked the health workers for facilitating the vaccination of the residents in the estate that is located far away from urban areas or the PPV.

"With the RAVO team coming to the area, I do not have to go far or incur expenses. I do not mind being vaccinated by the side of the road... it is better than not being vaccinated," he added.

Riska Hamzah, 27, had been fearful of being vaccinated especially after being influenced by the anti-vaccination propaganda.

"Getting accurate information about the vaccine and seeing that my friends and family had also been vaccinated finally gave me the confidence to go for it too," Riska said.

Meanwhile, Sabah Health director Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin said the RAVO project and other outreach activities were being carried out because she was aware that there were still people in the interior who had not been vaccinated.

"We trekked through the forest and travelled up to five hours today because we know there are still some in the interior who have not been vaccinated due to health factors," she said, adding that 141,000 residents of Tawau and Kalabakan have yet to be vaccinated.

She said the RAVO project, in collaboration with the Community Development Leaders Unit (UPPM) including the Malaysia Vaccine Support Volunteers (MyVac), is being implemented for a week in Tawau, starting yesterday, and involves 21 localities, including Serudung Estate and Kampung Serudung Laut, after which it will be continued in Kinabatangan, Tongod and Nabawan.