COMBATING the Covid-19 pandemic to pave the path to Malaysia’s full economic recovery will require a swift vaccination implementation programme, which sees the public and private sectors joining hands to #menangbersama and achieve herd immunity.
In line with the Government’s phased plan to vaccinate those in the high risk category and with construction workers among the country’s economic frontliners, the Ministry of Works through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia has introduced the Construction Industry Vaccination Programme (CIVac).
An effort to accelerate the vaccination uptake among the construction workforce and to reduce the number of Covid-19 workplace clusters, CIVac was introduced to complement the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to accelerate public immunisation by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV). JKJAV is co-chaired by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) and the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The voluntary programme will offer vaccinations to industry players and their workers in six zones, including Central, North, South and East Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
In terms of industry players, CIVac is open to both CIDB green card and non-green card holders to encourage vaccination and is targeted at contractors, developers, consultants, concessionaire toll operators or maintenance providers and construction product suppliers, while workers include construction workers, supervisors, project managers and administrative personnel.
Under the programme, all local and foreign workers are also eligible for vaccination, whereby foreign workers without proper documentation can also register through their respective employers.
However, big construction projects with at least 5,000 workers can also opt to apply for vaccine supplies directly from CITF and manage the administration of vaccines to all workers involved with their projects.
In turn, this would protect the well-being of employees and consequently help expedite Malaysia’s economic recovery, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof at CIVac’s kick-off at the CIDB Convention Centre (CCC) on Jalan Chan Sow Lin, KL. Also present was PICK coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Fadillah (standing, left) and Khairy (centre) visits CCC to observe the first day of operations under CIVac. - LOW LAY PHON/The Star
Positive reception
The Works Minister said that response to the programme has been overwhelmingly positive, as all 40,000 slots - or 80,000 doses - for the first phase of CIVac in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, which was opened on June 21, were taken up within 24 hours of opening, showing the willingness of industry players to accelerate the immunisation rate of the community.
He said, “All of the slots were fully booked in less than 24 hours. This shows that industry players in construction are prepared to ensure that their workers are vaccinated against Covid-19.”
Based on the positive response, Fadillah said that CIVac will soon be offered in other states in subsequent phases, adding that the Works Ministry has also requested for an additional 200,000 doses of vaccines for 100,000 construction workers for Phase 2 of the programme.
It is estimated that more than two million doses of vaccines will be required to immunise construction workers nationwide, as the latest records show that approximately one million construction personnel are registered with CIDB, 70% of whom are locals.
He added, “In the Works Ministry, we hope the vaccination programme for the construction sector can be implemented quickly in order to ensure the construction sector can once again contribute to the economy.
“The Ministry will also increase the amount according to the needs of the construction sector.”
Phased implementation
Vaccination through CIVac is being implemented in phases at selected vaccination centres (PPVs) across the country, which will be determined by CIDB and approved by the CITF.
Phase 1 - which is among the 27 new PPVs approved for the construction, transport and manufacturing sectors tasked with vaccinating 373,327 workers - covers the CCC and National Panasonic Sports Complex in Shah Alam, Selangor, while Phase 2 tentatively proposes Seberang Prai, Penang, Johor Baru, Johor and Kuantan, Pahang.
For Sabah and Sarawak, Fadillah revealed that the ministry was conducting a study to look into the preparedness of both states before expanding the programme there.
CIVac, which kicked off yesterday at CCC, will see 500 vaccines being administered daily in the first three days of operations, before being gradually increased to 1,300 daily vaccinations. Meanwhile, the programme will see construction workers in Selangor getting vaccinated at the National Panasonic Sports Complex starting July 14.
The Works Ministry and CIDB, he said, will also propose the idea of makeshift vaccination centres or mobile vaccination clinics at construction sites or workers’ accommodations to CITF.
Under this proposal for CIVac, the private sector will be required to prepare and fund their own qualified medical team and vaccination centre, while the Government will supply and deliver the vaccine to them, free-of-charge.
That said, Fadillah stressed that in the short term, compliance with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures and enforcement remains the best way to prevent the spread of the pandemic in the construction industry.
“The vaccination programme is one the proactive initiatives by CIDB to ensure that the construction industry can maintain the health and safety of industry players during this period, whilst preparing for the full reopening of the sector.
“Many of these workers live at construction sites and it is difficult for them to come out.
“We know that restoring the sector to its regular productivity levels is a challenging task, but it is one that can be achieved if players within the construction industry work together to increase the immunisation rates and to comply with the SOP,” he said.
In addition, Fadillah said that CIDB, working alongside the various agencies under the Works Ministry, will continue to develop the industry to be more resilient in facing both present and future challenges.
For further inquiries, companies can contact CIVac secretariat via email at vaksin@cidbh.com.my or call 03-4042 8880 during its operating hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm).