KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DoctorOnCall, Malaysia's first and largest digital health platform today announced its partnership with Qualitas Medical Group to form a collaborative alliance to extend COVID-19 vaccination to the population who are yet to receive it, including foreign nationals and adolescents over the age of 12. The initiative is designed to provide swift, simple and safe online bookings for both doses of the Sinovac vaccination that will be administered at 77 Qualitas clinics across the nation (Locations: KL, Selangor, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Pahang and Penang).
Maran Virumandi, Managing Director and Co-Founder of DoctorOnCall
This arrangement allows convenient access to vaccination, with booking slots at Qualitas clinics available from 9am to 6pm at night. It also provides a wider window of opportunity for individuals who may have missed or haven't received their MySejahtera vaccine appointment yet. This is also the first private vaccination programme powered by an online booking that provides Sinovac vaccine boosters.
In an effort to be part of the solution in managing the spread of COVID-19, Qualitas is providing free booster vaccination shots with Pfizer (government-supplied doses) and paid Sinovac booster vaccinations at RM99 per shot starting from 1 December 2021.
Facilitated by experienced medical professionals at DoctorOnCall, the process comprises prompt reminders and follow-up services to ensure a smooth experience for patrons. The programme is aligned with the national vaccination policy and plan, wherein recipients' MySejahtera is updated with their vaccine status post inoculation.
Earlier in the year, DoctorOnCall organised vaccination drives at PPV centers for foreign and migrant workers in partnership with Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). The project was a success with thousands of doses administered with speed and efficiency over the short duration of the campaign.
"DoctorOnCall has always been centre stage in supporting the effort in filling the gaps to ensure Malaysians and its residents are vaccinated against COVID-19. This partnership is a private effort in ensuring that we are a fully vaccinated nation. We strongly believe that there is a need for people to have autonomy over choosing their preferred vaccine, a need that is set to be met by private vaccine programmes. This programme works in tandem with the National Immunisation Program to support the population that still remains unvaccinated or who requires booster shots," said Maran Virumandi, Managing Director and Co-Founder of DoctorOnCall.
"Qualitas Medical Group is committed to doing our part in the national vaccination drive, which is why we are pricing the Sinovac vaccine booster shots to make them more accessible to the communities we serve. We are subsidising all professional fees to break the RM100 barrier and assist the nation to realise a higher take-up of booster shots. Our clinics across Malaysia are offering the vaccines – both primary doses and boosters with the Sinovac or Pfizer vaccines – to anyone eligible. We have the largest network of clinics in Malaysia offering vaccinations and by giving people a choice of vaccines, we hope that they will join us in fighting the spread of the virus," said Dr. Junaidi Ismail, Chief Business Development Officer of Qualitas Medical Group.
Malaysia has been steady on the road towards recovering from the pandemic. Despite the delayed and staggered vaccine rollout, the country has managed to pick up the pace and get more than 77.8% of the total population vaccinated (as of 1st December 2021). The extension of the programme to adolescents over the age of 12 has proven to be rapidly successful, with more and more teenagers getting fully vaccinated before resuming school and other daily activities. Nevertheless, there are still some insufficiencies in the system that account for the 20.8% that are still unvaccinated.
Much of the older population still remains vaccine hesitant. With this strategic partnership, Doctor On Call and Qualitas hope to impress the importance of getting vaccinated and a booster shot to the public and, by making booking appointments easier and more convenient, to help increase the vaccination rate in the country.
For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/3ll7LB6
