KOTA KINABALU: The news of a clinic in Kuala Terengganu selling fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates is of serious concern.
The police must be congratulated for having discovered this scam by a doctor who had already issued 1,900 such certificates before he was exposed.
The question now is this: Is this the tip of the iceberg? How many other private clinics have been complicit in this nefarious practice?
If this can happen in Terengganu, it is likely that this could happen elsewhere too. As such, the authorities must leave no stone unturned in bringing all the miscreants to book.
Otherwise, public confidence in the national vaccination exercise, so successfully implemented , will be
sorely tested.
It is also necessary now to trace all those who have obtained fake certificates. This should not be hard to do, as the clinic would surely maintain some records.
Otherwise, these people could move around freely in supermarkets, restaurants and other places and thereby be a threat to others.
Another question that must be answered is whether or not there is a nexus between fake certificates and fake jabs. Some months ago, there were cases of fake jabs being administered in vaccination centres.
But the authorities then were quick to dismiss the cases as genuine errors and had failed to conduct a through investigation although some quarters had said that it was important to do so.
In view of the latest development, it is important for the authorities to complete their investigation quickly so as to put a stop to this pernicious practice by hypocrites of the Hippocratic Oath.
What action has the Malaysian Medical Association taken to ensure the preservation of the good name of the doctors in the country, and especially of the general practitioners?
What has happened is indeed a slur on the noble profession, and every step must be taken to restore public confidence and preserve the good name of the doctors and nurses who have been the heroic frontliners during this Covid-19 pandemic.
We should not allow a few rotten apples spoil the bunch.
Let’s not sweep this issue under the carpet. Let’s not take the easy way out and dismiss it as an isolated case.
The public has a right to know all the facts surrounding this sordid affair and to be assured that the precautions that they have been taking have not been compromised.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
CHAIRMAN,
ALLIANCE FOR SAFE COMMUNITY
