Home News 14,000 frontline workers in NC to get vaccine

14,000 frontline workers in NC to get vaccine

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From left, MEC for the Department of Health, Maruping Lekwene and Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr. Zamani Saul.

FOURTEEN-thousand healthcare frontline workers in the Northern Cape have been identified to be the first persons to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the Province.

The Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, along with the MEC of Health, Maruping Lekwene and the HOD of Health, Dion Theys, launched the roll-out strategy for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Saul said 15 centres have been identified in the Province where vaccinations will be administered, adding that healthcare workers will be vaccinated from February 10, 2021.

Saul said the first phase of roll-out will focus on 14 000 healthcare workers in the Province.

“The roll-out will take a three-phased approach in the Province. Phase One will focus on healthcare workers. Phase Two we will vaccinate essential workers, persons in congregate settings, persons older than age 60 and persons older than 18 years with comorbidities. Phase Three will focus on the rest of the population.

“The Province will be receiving 14 000 vaccine doses early next week in the first allocation from BioVac for the initial roll-out to patient-facing personnel – 10 000 public sector and 4 000 private sector,” said Saul.

He said the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley will be the first facility on the list where vaccinations for healthcare workers will be carried out.

“Robert Sobukwe will receive 2 080 doses of the vaccine on February 10, 2021, followed by the Dr Harry Surtie Regional Hospital in Upington which will receive 910 doses of the vaccine from February 12.

“The District Hospitals in Springbok, Kuruman and De Aar will receive 2 390 doses from Monday, February 15, 2021. All other hospitals will receive 970 doses from Monday, February 22, 2021 and Primary Health Care Clinics and Community Health Care Centres will receive 1 790 doses from Monday, March 1, 2021.

“All other clinical support staff will also receive 1 310 doses also from Monday, March 1, 2021. The estimated rollout for the first phase is therefore a total amount of 9 450 doses of the vaccine. The plan is to complete vaccination of all ‘patient-facing’ government staff by the end of March 2021. The private health sector will run a parallel vaccination process,” he said.

Saul said further information on how the vaccination process will be rolled out for the rest of the population in the Province will be communicated at a later stage.

“Residents do not have to register on the database for the vaccination yet. We are still waiting on the consignment for Phase Three. We will also learn a lot more about the process after we have completed Phase One. In the Northern Cape the aim is to vaccinate 67% of the population, or just under 900 000 people, by the end of the year,” said Saul.

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