IPOH: A total of 123 media practitioners from Perak will get their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow.
Perak Association of Media Practitioners (PPMP) chairman Sayed Mohd Hesham Syed Idris said all media practitioners from various agencies had received their vaccination appointments through the MySejahtera application since 3pm today.
"On behalf of the media practitioners in Perak, I would like to say thank you to the Science,Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti), Health Ministry and the state government as we finally have vaccination appointments.
"A total of 123 journalists and photographers will receive their first dose tomorrow at various vaccine delivery centres (PPVs) in the state," he said when contacted today.
Sayed Mohd Hesham said the media practitioners in the country specifically have been waiting to be vaccinated as they are part of the frontliners.
"After receiving our notification (on MySejahtera), it proves that the ministry is always listening to the voices of media practitioners, who are at high risk of being infected because of their daily tasks that require them to be on the field.
"We hope our media comrades in other states who have yet to receive any notification of their vaccination appointments through MySejahtera, will get notified soon," he said.
Perak Health Department director Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming had also earlier confirmed that the 123 media practitioners would receive their appointments.
"We have received a list of names of media personnel in Perak and will announce an appointment date for them to get the injection," she said after visiting the first drive-through vaccine facility at the Stadium Indera Mulia vaccination centre (PPV) today.
In statement on Tuesday, Sayed Mohd Hesham had urged the government to expedite vaccination of media personnel so they could carry out their duties more confidently and safely.
He said during the Covid-19 pandemic, quite a number of media practitioners in Perak had been forced to go through self-quarantine repeatedly and had come in close contacts with Covid-19 patients.
On May 3, 22 media personnel from various agencies in the state were ordered to undergo quarantine after they were found to be close contacts of patients who tested positive for Covid-19.