In a press conference today, he said this follows an increase in budget for the health sector, including for the construction of field hospitals, announced by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as part of the Pemerkasa economic package.
In addition, a modular hospital within the Hospital Angkatan Tentera Tuanku Mizan will be built in three months. It will have 64 beds, including 16 intensive care unit (ICU) beds.
He said the RM20 million project will be fully funded by WCT Holdings Berhad.
“This is one good example of the involvement of the private sector in helping the government manage Covid-19,” he said, adding that this is the first time the government has received full funding to build a hospital.
To further help with the government’s Covid-19 mitigation plans, he said the military is prepared to deploy mobile clinics by mobilising its buses.
He said the buses can be used to reach people living in the interior, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
He added that the military is also prepared to build temporary camps for paramedics and doctors to vaccinate villagers in remote areas.
This is to avoid people refusing to go for vaccinations due to geographical challenges.
“If not by boat, we can even use helicopters to reach those living in remote areas.”
Ismail also said that a drive-through vaccination centre for military personnel and their families will be opened at the Sungai Besi camp.
Drive-through vaccinations will be opened to the public at a location to be announced later, he added.
As at June 1, 56,290 ATM members had completed their second dose of the vaccine.
Ismail said he expects all members of the armed forces to be vaccinated by the end of July.
Meanwhile, the defence ministry has taken initiatives to assist the government in increasing vaccinations for military family members and ex-servicemen.
The ministry has ordered 140,913 vaccine doses for the purpose, including for veterans who have applied through ATM’s veterans affairs department.
The type of vaccine to be given will depend on supply.
“For now, we have received a supply of Pfizer vaccines and possibly the Sinovac vaccines from Pharmaniaga Bhd.”
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