Press Statement By Julian Tan:
The government urged to improve the MySejahtera Apps to make it more ‘Dummy Prove’. It is not a coincidence that many missed the vaccination appointments due to failure to respond in the MySejahtera. According to Khairy Jamaluddin, the coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (JKJAV) , out of the 31’776 who got their appointments via MySejahtera up until early April, more than 50% or 18,215 failed to respond. They are likely elderly and those with comorbidities, underlying diseases, OKUs who are part of the high-risk groups that, if infected, will likely develop more severe symptoms or even face death due to Covid-19.
The MySejatera apps should be able to cater to all regardless of their level of tech-savviness. As long as one can click into the apps (1st click), they should know important messages are waiting for them, e.g., the appointment for vaccination. That’s how we define it as ‘user-friendly apps’.
The MySejahtera should incorporate the ‘Hard to missed’ urgent notification alert into the first ‘check-in’ screen. At this moment, users will need to ‘close’ the ‘check-in screen’ before they can reach the menu section and further click to check their latest appointment.
Not many will do that. Even tech-savvy people with independents (e.g.,elderly) registered under their MySejahtera Apps still missed it. After registration, most will not get an immediate response, if not all the time, thus discouraging them to constantly check their apps and dig further for the latest update on vaccination appointments.
Those who have not responded to MySejahtera and missed the appointment were told they would be contacted and be allowed to re-enroll into the vaccination program at a future date.
Adding to the confusion, those who missed the appointment were advised to call the hotlines for a reappointment. The hotline, as many know it, is almost impossible to get through. These further add to the already overloaded hotlines that otherwise can be reached for other more impending urgent matters. If each of the 18,215 who missed the appointment called 3 times into various hotline numbers, you will have 54’645 calls jamming the hotlines. An avoidable, unnecessary outcome.
A slight tweak on the MySejahtera apps alone can save the government ten of thousands of calls into the hotlines and immediately lighten the load off the already overwhelming government departments. In just one case of a missing appointment, many will try various means to reach out to the authority, not just once but to many departments, for the reappointment or ratifying issues at hand.
The government needs to ensure reappointment for vaccination, and any rectification arises to be seamless and easy to comprehend and reach for the average folks. Prevention is better than cure.
Julian Tan
Special assistant to YB Chong Chieng Jen
