Homeless man in Sarawak gets helping hand to secure vaccination slot

A homeless man in Sarawak who did not know how to register for vaccination against Covid-19 was given a helping hand by a team from the social welfare department in Kuching.

Mohd Firuz Abu Bakar had told MalaysiaNow that he wished to be vaccinated but did not know how or whether he was eligible for a jab.

He used to work with a welding company in Kuala Lumpur but had been living on the streets of Kuching for four years.

Responding to the report by MalaysiaNow, the team from the social welfare department met Firuz at the open air market building in the capital city and helped him register under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

They also gave him and another homeless person who was with him food aid and offered to move them to transit centres.

However, both declined the offer, saying they preferred to be independent.

The team then recorded their location for follow-up action and gave them advice on precautionary measures to ward off the virus. They also told them to go to the social welfare department if they ever require further help.

In a statement, the department and divisional health office said they were committed to ensuring that all citizens in Sarawak could be vaccinated regardless of status.

They also said they were collecting more data and information on the homeless in the state for follow-up action to help them register for vaccination.