However, a Covid-19 immunisation task force (CITF) team from the Ranau health office, together with the Ranau 4WD Club, took on the challenging of travelling over three hours to go 40km into the interior area of Ranau district to ensure that the residents there were not left out of the vaccination exercise.
Ranau district health officer, Dr Fionna Vincent Bizini said she and her team left as early as 6am in nine 4WD vehicles from the Ranau Mother and Child Health Clinic to the vaccination destination, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kawiyan.
“It wasn’t easy to get to this place as we had to travel on a rocky dirt track for quite a distance which was a challenge for the health personnel in providing the vaccination service. Hopefully, it won’t rain after this, otherwise the track will even be more difficult for us.
“Although this place is far in the interior, we are ready to carry out the Covid-19 vaccination outreach programme to ensure that people in this area also receive the vaccine,” she said.
Fionna was met at the vaccination programme yesterday at SK Kawiyan with deputy chief minister Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
Ranau is located about 108km east of Kota Kinabalu and is renowned as a “house” to Mount Kinabalu, with a population of over 100,000, mostly from the Dusun ethnic group.
Fionna said 150 doses of the vaccine were administered due to the encouraging response from the residents and the programme was scheduled to be continued in the interior areas of Kaingaran and Paginatan early next month.
“I understand that the locations are also far away and we require the assistance of the 4WD club to reach the destinations. But whatever the challenges, we will go ahead to ensure our people are protected from Covid-19,” she said.
Kampung Paka, Ulu Sugut resident Julina Gandalau, 50, said she had yet to register for vaccination but was thankful that the group was willing to come to the interior areas to hold vaccination programmes.
“It will take a long time if we are to register and wait to be called. So, I decided to come here and get the injection to protect myself from Covid-19,” she said after receiving her first dose.
Another resident of the village, Amirul Asanboh, 33, said he attended the programme after obtaining information from the public.
“It is very good that they hold the programme here as it is easy for the interior people to attend. Otherwise, we would have to go with others and pay the fare if they do it in (Ranau) town.
“Not all villagers have four-wheel-drive vehicles to take the long journey from this village to Ranau town over the bad roads. The journey will take many hours,” he added.