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The union said the plan announced by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize Night did not establish a clear logistical deployment for vaccination.
JOHANNESBURG – The health workers union Nehawu weighed in on the government’s ambitious plan to vaccinate 67,000 residents against COVID-19 by December, warning that focus was lacking on both details and timing.
The union said the plan announced late by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize did not establish a clear logistical deployment for vaccination, without details on how doctors would be trained and without information on the geographical distribution of vaccines, especially for the vulnerable.
READ: Mkhize: The government aims to ensure COVID-19 vaccines from February
Nehawu agreed with experts that South Africa should have started negotiations with vaccine manufacturers long ago, saying the government was caught by surprise as the country faced a deadly pandemic that had killed millions of people around the world.
The union’s Zola Saphetha said that due to the government’s delay, the country now has to grapple with shortage issues while other countries make progress in protecting their citizens.
“Unfortunately, they did not meet our expectations because we think that by now we could have concluded the negotiations and commitments with the manufacturers and those responsible for the vaccine,” Saphetha said.
“Because we had the opportunity to anticipate the second wave and we should have used that anticipation period to participate.”
ALSO READ: There is a debate on whether SA can vaccinate 67% of citizens by the end of 2021
The union called for more transparency and urged the government to act quickly in its hiring processes.
It also demands that the government involve both Russia and China in the emergency procurement of their vaccines for healthcare workers while they await Covax delivery.
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