Following intensive weeks of campaigning by Rehman and fellow Medway MPs, it can be announced that there will be a mass Covid-19 vaccination centre in Medway.
Rehman, along with fellow Medway MPs Kelly Tolhurst MP (Rochester & Strood) and Tracey Crouch MP (Chatham & Aylesford), have been campaigning for a mass Covid-19 vaccination centre in Medway and have held numerous meetings with NHS authorities, as well as made representations to Government.
Rehman asked the Prime Minister in Prime Minister's questions on the 27th January 2021 to ensure that there is a mass vaccination centre in Medway and raised the real concerns of his constituents in Gillingham & Rainham and the wider Medway area regarding the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine. Some of Rehman's constituents who are in their 80s and 90s have not yet received their vaccination. Medway has been one of the hardest hit areas in the country, as well as being where the mutant variant of Covid-19 was first detected and North Kent has some of the highest health inequalities in the country.
On 28th January, Rehman held a call with the Chairman of Gillingham Football Club, Paul Scally, who has offered the Gills' stadium, MEMS Priestfield, as a site for a mass Covid-19 vaccination centre in Medway, and along with fellow Medway MPs Kelly Tolhurst and Tracey Crouch, Rehman wrote to NHS South East England calling for a mass Covid-19 vaccination centre in Medway, passing on the Gills' offer of their stadium.
Further to this, on 4th February, following a statement by Minister for Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi MP, Rehman welcomed the proposals by Kent & Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to increase Covid-19 vaccination capacity at Medway Hospital, which Rehman stated now must be added to the national booking programme.
Rehman urgently called again for a mass vaccination centre in Medway due to its large population and as it has been one of the hardest hit areas in the country by Covid-19.
Further details about the new centre will be announced in due course.
