KUANTAN: The high Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed utilisation in Pahang has delayed the east-coast state's move into Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the state has met two threshold indicators of the NRP - two-dose vaccination among the state's eligible adult population has reached 40 per cent and daily Covid-19 cases falling below 2,000 - but has recorded high usage of ICU beds.
"Pahang has achieved the key indicators except high utilisation rate of ICU beds. During a recent meeting, I informed the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob).....Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has promised to study the matter within a week.
"I mentioned that those who were ill and treated for Covid-19 in the ICUs would need about two weeks to recover, so why not let those outside (not linked with Covid-19) continue their normal life.
"We hope the National Security Council (NSC) will give Pahang special consideration to move to Phase 3," he told reporters after visiting the SMK Bukit Rangin vaccination centres (PPV) near here today.
States will be allowed to move to Phase 3 of NRP if they meet three threshold indicators, namely two-dose vaccination among the state adult population reaches 40 per cent, bed usage in ICUs should be at a safe level and daily Covid-19 cases must be below 2,000.
Meanwhile, Wan Rosdy said to date, 83.8 per cent or 985,011 of the adult population in the state have received their first dose while 61 per cent or 713,000 have completed both doses.
He said Pahang, aims to inoculate at least 1.2 million of its population, was on track to achieve herd immunity by the end of next month or before the monsoon season arrives in November.
On reports that some 184,000 people had yet to register for vaccination via the MySejahtera application, Wan Rosdy said the figures might be inaccurate.
"I am not trying to deny the figures, but we need to revise the numbers again. Many people in Pahang received their vaccination in Kuala Lumpur and even in some villages. The records show that some have yet to be vaccinated, but reports on the ground from the village headmen show that the entire village has completed its vaccination.
"Various vaccination programmes were conducted around Pahang and there were several sources (to secure vaccination) including through MySejahtera, military quota, Felda and agriculture quota...so we might assume some have yet to be vaccinated but they have instead received their dose (though other sources)," he said, adding the State Health Department will be tasked to reexamine the figures.
On the vaccination for teenagers in Pahang, Wan Rosdy said the Health Ministry has given approval to inoculate Orang Asli youths at their settlements.
"Besides the teenagers aged 16 and 17 in Pahang, Orang Asli youths aged 12 and above will receive their vaccination. When the outreach teams reach their settlements, those eligible will be vaccinated.
"Some 30,000 settlers and their families in Felda settlements are scheduled to receive at least one vaccine dose by Sept 30. We have intensified our vaccination programmes around the state....the vaccination teams have been going to the ground instead of waiting for the public to visit PPVs," he said.
Also present was state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Sallehuddin Ishak, Deputy Finance Minister I. Mohd Shahar Abdullah, who is also the Paya Besar Member of Parliament and State Health director Datuk Dr Nor Azimi Yunus.