More vaccination sites made available for healthcare workers

More healthcare workers can expect to receive their jabs at locations within their proximity as more vaccine rollout facilities become available.

The Department of Health has identified 13 private hospitals nationwide to be of service for the  programme, but the list is subject to change pending adjustments and the availability of more doses of the vaccine.

The department requires that the chosen sites first vaccinate their own workers at risk of infection, and then those at selected hospitals identified in their catchment areas.

The sites identified are listed below.

Private vaccination sites	Private catchment institutions
Ahmed Kathrada Private Hospital	Dr SK Matseke Memorial Hospital Lenmed Daxina Private Hospital
Gatesville Medical Centre	Life Vincent Pallotti Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt Mediclinic Panorama Rondebosch Medical Centre Bellville Medical Centre Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital
Life Cosmos	Life Midmed Hospital Emalahleni Private Hospital
Life Peglerae	Netcare Ferncrest Hospital Impala Mine Hospital Rustenburg Medi-Care Centre
Life Rosepark	Busamed Bram Fischer International Airport Hospital Pelonomi Private Hospital Mediclinic Bloemfontein Universitas Private Hospital
Life St Dominics	Life Beacon Bay Hospital Life East London Private Hospital
Mediclinic Nelspruit	Kiaat Private Hospital Lowveld Hospital
Mediclinic Upington	Dr Harry Surtie Hospital
Mediclinic Limpopo	To be confirmed
Netcare Greenacres	Life St Georges Hospital Life Mercantile Hospital
Netcare Milpark	Life Brenthurst Hospital Netcare Garden City Hospital Netcare Park Lane Hospital Wits Donald Gordon Hospital
Netcare Pholoso	Medleb
Netcare St Augustine’s	Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital Ascot Park Hospital City Hospital Durdoc Clinic Lenmed Health Shifa Hospital Life Entabeni Hospital Netcare Parklands Hospital

Among the reasons for selection was the ability to enable as wide a geographic spread of the vaccine rollout as possible, given the number of untaken vaccine doses, according to a statement released by the Hospital Association of South Africa.

Read: SA’s vaccine rollout programme to get R500m boost

South Africa is still in Phase I of the vaccination rollout, having inoculated 90 000 healthcare workers nationwide as at March 5. Gauteng leads the pack with over 17 000 vaccinated workers. This is according to a vaccine rollout webinar hosted by Business for South Africa (B4SA), the Department of Health and the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) on March 5.

Professor Glenda Gray, CEO of SAMRC, says the country still has a long way to go because, in practical terms, only one in every five workers had received the vaccine.

The number of vaccinated workers is ambitiously forecast to soar over 1.2 million by the end of March, with a targeted administration of about 120 000 to 250 000 vaccinations per day. Currently, the country is administering 5 000 vaccinations daily.

Palesa Mofokeng is a Moneyweb intern.