Kerajaangagal90 – How many avoidable deaths will take place in Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing said his younger brother Jantai Masing, 68, who died due to Covid-19 at the Kapit Hospital on May 31, just a day before the Dayaks in the state ushered in the Gawai celebration, would have a better chance to survive Covid-19 if he had been given the vaccine.

This is a question which is haunting Malaysians, regardless of race or religion - How many avoidable deaths will take place in Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic?

Malaysia has reached a stage where more people are dying of Covid-19 than in the United Kingdom.

In the month of May, 2021, 1,495 people in Malaysia died of Covid-19, while in the United Kingdom, 265 people died of Covid-19.

In the first five days of June, 495 people in Malaysia died of Covid-19 while 54 died of Covid-19 in United Kingdom.

January was the blackest month for the United Kingdom, where 32.707 people died of Covid-19, but mass vaccination has changed the picture reducing the Covid-19 caseload as well as fatalities, to the extent UK is recording less daily increase of new Covid-19 cases and daily fatalities than Malaysia.

United Kingdom has turned the corner in the Covid-19 pandemic, but Malaysia is still waiting the for worst, with dire predictions that daily increase of new Covid-19 cases could increase to 13,000 cases a day by the middle of the month and that the total Covid-19 fatalities could reach 26,000 by September.

It is of the utmost importance and urgency that the national vaccination rollout in Malaysia must be accelerated.

There must be urgent review to ensure that the national vaccination rollout does not become the Malaysia’s Achilles’ heel in the war against Covid-19 pandemic.

The Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine must re-strategise and ensure that the campaign highlights the common touches to bring the vaccine to the people instead of bringing the people to the vaccine.

This is particularly important for rural and remotes areas, although in urban areas, emphasis should be made to increase the vaccination centres which should be people-friendly and convenient.

There should be a national campaign involving all MPs, State Assembly persons, community leaders, village heads, heads of religious groups, corporate leaders, the business community, professional associations and even social influencers to play a key role to persuade Malaysians to register for the vaccination.