KUCHING: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will negotiate with private hospitals over their participation in the country’s immunisation programme.
Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the ministry is working on the mechanism to carry out immunisation at private hospitals.
“The private hospitals can help vaccinate the people, but they cannot do it for free. Supplies like their surgical gloves and the needles cost money, including the use of electricity and storage of the vaccines,” he said.
He said this when he visited a vaccination registration counter organised by Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) at a wet market in Kota Sentosa yesterday (Mar 28).
The state government, according to him, could not negotiate with private hospitals as it would affect the healthcare market and it would affect the whole country.
“That is why we leave the matter to the ministry to do the negotiation. I am very sure that before the second phase of the programme, they will look into this,” he said.
He also said that Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has spoken to the ministry and the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force on the matter.
