KUALA LUMPUR: The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia [APHM] has commended the government's effort and success in managing Phase One of the COVID-19 vaccination for frontliners particularly the private healthcare workers.

Its president, Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, said the joint effort of both ministers - the Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also the Coordinating Minister for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme - has proven the success of the vaccination programme so far.

"The cooperation between public and private is evident in this exercise as the entire process of vaccination for private healthcare has been without any difficulties or major disruption although some states had some delay in commencing the private healthcare vaccination, it was done well as the rollout began.

"Both public health care officers and private healthcare worked together seamlessly at private hospitals to get the vaccination done," he said in a statement.

He said the association had not been informed of any COVID-19 infection amongst the private healthcare workers after the first and second doses but it would be isolated and with mild symptoms should it ever occur.

"Our view is the vaccination is important and we have seen increased confidence level of our healthcare workers during their duty of managing COVID-19 patients in private hospitals after completing the vaccination.

"However, we have advised all our private healthcare workers to maintain the highest level of precaution and adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOP) despite the completion of vaccination," said Dr Kuljit.

-- BERNAMA