KUALA LUMPUR: About two million doses of vaccine are needed to ensure all workers in the construction sector are immunised against Covid-19, thus enabling them to continue contributing to the economic development of the country.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said based on the recent record, there were almost one million construction personnel registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), of which 70 percent were locals and 30 percent were foreigners.
Fadillah said the ministry was actively carrying out the immunisation process for workers in the sector through the Construction Industry Vaccination Programme (CIVac) under CIDB, a collaborative effort by the government and the private sector to expedite inoculation for the group.
“For a start, the CIVac programme is allocated 80,000 doses of vaccine for 40,000 construction personnel in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor by the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV),” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after observing the vaccination process for the CIVac programme at the CIDB Convention Centre which kicked off today (July 1), with Coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Khairy Jamaluddin also present.
Fadillah said CIDB had opened the vaccine registration for all construction personnel in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya on June 21 and all slots were fully booked in less than 24 hours, which showed that industry players were very concerned and prepared to ensure their workers are vaccinated.
Following the positive response to the CIVac programme, Fadillah said the ministry would request an additional 200,000 doses of vaccine from JKJAV for the second phase of the programme which involves 100,000 construction personnel in Penang, Johor and Pahang.
He added that the vaccination centre for the CIVac programme in Selangor would be opened at the Panasonic Sports Complex, Shah Alam on July 14.
As for Sabah and Sarawak, the ministry was conducting a study and looking at the preparedness of both states before the programme is expanded there, he said.
To facilitate industry players, Fadillah said the ministry together with CIDB would also present a proposal to the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force to conduct vaccination at construction sites or workers’ accommodation.
Under the CIVac programme, the private sector is required to prepare and fund their own qualified medical team and vaccination centre, while the vaccine will be supplied and delivered to them free of charge by the government. – Bernama
