KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysian digital health platform, Health Digital Technologies Sdn. Bhd. (DoctorOnCall) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bumiputera Tourism Operators Association of Malaysia (BUMITRA Malaysia) to facilitate and increase health vaccination amongst Muslim pilgrims who have planned to undertake the annual Hajj or Umrah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As part of the MoU, DoctorOnCall will provide a platform for pilgrims to make inoculation appointment bookings. The platform will be available to pilgrims who make pilgrimage travel plans with any participating travel agencies nationwide under BUMITRA. The pilot phase of the vaccination drive will kick off this month focusing on Kuala Lumpur and Selangor with phase two set to commence from late July onwards, covering the whole of Malaysia.

Championing convenience, responsiveness, transparency, accessibility and trust via its wide spectrum of healthcare products and services, the DoctorOnCall platform will act as an online database of healthcare providers that offer vaccinations across Malaysia. The database will help pilgrims search and identify suitable, reputable and verified clinics for vaccinations.

The vaccinations offered through DoctorOnCall will include meningococcal, influenza and Covid-19. However, with MOH urging Malaysian pilgrims to include the pneumococcal vaccine as part of their inoculation to increase protection against serious and potentially fatal pneumococcal infections^(¹), DoctorOnCall will be placing greater emphasis on pneumococcal vaccine providers so that more pilgrims will have access to the vaccine.

Hazwan Najib, Director and Co-Founder of DoctorOnCall said: "With the resurgence of religious tourism as we enter a post-pandemic world, overcrowding conditions in places of worship are inevitable. This makes pilgrims more susceptible to infectious diseases. Being vaccinated with the vaccinations made mandatory by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will help pilgrims have better peace of mind and a more meaningful pilgrimage experience, especially for those who have medical comorbidities that could be vulnerable and in a position of risk around large crowds.

"The DoctorOnCall platform will encourage the uptake of vaccinations for a safer pilgrimage by simplifying the vaccination process. With vaccination appointments made easy through the platform, pilgrims need not travel and wait long hours in a queue in medical facilities. Instead, the platform will enable them to book physical appointments, allowing them to better adhere to vaccination guidelines to avoid overlapping side effects and help them plan their vaccination around their pilgrimage trip," Hazwan continued.

Tuan Haji Harun KC Ahmmu, President, BUMITRA Malaysia said that the health and safety of Malaysian pilgrims are at their core and looks at continuously improving ways and identifying methods for pilgrims to take better care of their health along their pilgrimage journey.

"We are elated to be partnering with DoctorOnCall to extend the protective powers of inoculation amongst pilgrims. When performing pilgrimage, we often come into contact with people from all over the world who may unknowingly be carrying vaccine-preventable diseases. Together with DoctorOnCall, our pilgrims will be empowered with not only necessary vaccinations but also better awareness and knowledge about these transmittable diseases, helping more Malaysian pilgrims to take charge of their health, giving them a worry-free pilgrimage experience," Tuan Haji Harun KC Ahmmu added.

The MoU signing ceremony was held at the BUMITRA Malaysia office in Kuala Lumpur on 9 June 2022 with the documents signed and exchanged between Hazwan Najib, of DoctorOnCall and Harun Ahmmu of BUMITRA Malaysia. The signing was witnessed by Leong Shook Ye of DoctorOnCall and Ab Rahman Mohd Ali of BUMITRA Malaysia.

Interested parties can visit Pakej Vaksinasi Haji & Umrah for details.

Twitter