22 SEPTEMBER 2021 – ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (ProtectHealth) remains committed to the continuity of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Adolescents Programme (PICK-Remaja) on adolescents aged 12 to 17 years through the involvement of private medical practitioners and health NGOs (PMPs and NGOs) via outreach programmes, private health facilities, and walk-ins at selected PPVs. The walk-ins are an avenue to ensure that the PPVs that are still open to be fully utilised.
The vaccination for adolescents was officially launched on September 20, 2021 and has commenced nationwide. The implementation of PICK-Remaja is managed under the COVID-19 Immunisation Taskforce (CITF-A) chaired by YB Deputy Minister of Health 1, Dato’ Dr. Haji Noor Azmi bin Ghazali.
ProtectHealth Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Dr. Anas Alam Faizli said, “The involvement of PMPs and NGOs has proven to be effective in maximising and achieving vaccination targets. This is evident in the success of PICK (adult) where ProtectHealth has contributed 47% of the total vaccination doses of PICK through PMPs and NGOs, representing 19,116,154 vaccination doses out of 40,375,056 total vaccination doses of PICK. The involvement of PPS and NGOs complements the involvement of all parties in PICK.”
The percentage contributions of the total vaccinations PMPs and NGOs registered with ProtectHealth in PICK by state are as follows: Kuala Lumpur 88%, Selangor 73%, Johor 60%, Penang 59%, Negeri Sembilan 41%, Melaka 33%, Kedah 27%, Terengganu 27%, Perak 24%, Sarawak 21%, Pahang 20%, WP Putrajaya 18%, Sabah 15%, Kelantan 12% and Perlis 6%.
More than 3.2 million teenagers aged 12 to 17 will be involved in PICK-Remaja. Teenagers, especially Form 4 and 5 students, need to be vaccinated as soon as possible before the school opens in October 2021. PMPs and NGOs will assist MOH to speed up the vaccination rate of PICK-Remaja, as they will be involved in the PICK-Remaja programme.
To date, more than 2,200 vaccination centers (PPVs) involving PMPs and NGOs supervised under ProtectHealth have been and are operating nationwide as follows: 1,635 PPVGPs (general practitioners), 31 PPVKPs (specialist clinics), 122 PPVHS (private hospitals), 25 PPVACCs (ambulatory care centres), 120 PPV Integration/Mega, and 155 PPVINs (critical economic sectors) and 153 PPV Outreach.
ProtectHealth as the implementer of PMPs and NGOs, as well as the liaison between private and government in the health sector will continue to increase the participation of PPS and NGOs in PICK.
PROTECTHEALTH CORPORATION SDN. BHD.
About ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn. Bhd.
Incorporated on 19 December 2016, ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd (ProtectHealth) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ProtectHealth Malaysia, established under the Ministry of Health, Malaysia (MOH). As a not-for-profit company, ProtectHealth coordinates, administers and manages initiatives related to financing healthcare services as mandated by MOH.
ProtectHealth is the healthcare scheme administrator for Skim Peduli Kesihatan untuk Kumpulan B40 (PeKa B40), electronic service provider (ESP) for Skim Perlindungan Insurans Kesihatan Pekerja Asing (SPIKPA) and latest, the implementer of private medical practitioner and healthcare NGO participation in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme.