Staff Reporter
The Free State has vaccinated a total of 14 313 health workers for COVID-19 as it prepares a major roll-out for the inoculation of at least 67 percent of the province’s population.
Health MEC Montseng Tsiu said this when she presented her department’s R12.135 billion budget for the 2021/22 financial year in Phuthaditjhaba on Thursday.
“As at yesterday, we had vaccinated a total of 14 313 health workers in the province,” she said.
“The vaccination of healthcare workers is aligned to risk stratification and the recommended categories, with schedules being specific to the target population within each local area.”
The MEC encouraged people across the province to be vaccinated when the mass roll-out for everyone starts in order to meet the local target of 1.9 million people over a 12-month period.
Several centres have been set up for the initial vaccination of healthcare workers.
Some of the centres are at Universitas Academic Hospital, Pelonomi and Rosepark hospitals in Bloemfontein, Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital in Sasolburg, Bongani Hospital in Welkom as well as Elizabeth Ross and Dihlabeng hospitals in Thabo Mofutsanyana district.
When the vaccination for the healthcare workers started, the provincial health department said it would target to vaccinate at 2 040 people per day.
This has however not happened as the roll-out faced hitches at national level.
The initial vaccine procured by South Africa, AstraZeneca, was discontinued on February 9 after it was found to be ineffective against the local strain of the disease.
The country is now using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The availability of the drug has however raised concern as the country is only able to ship small quantities at a time.
The MEC also said the health department will be hiring more staff in the coming year as well as addressing issues raised by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), especially irregular expenditure.
According to the AGSA, in the 2018/19 financial year, the provincial health department regressed from an unqualified audit opinion with findings to a qualified opinion.
“We have developed a plan to address the qualification paragraphs that were raised by AGSA pertaining to irregular expenditure, misclassifications of goods and services and capital assets,” Tsiu said.
“In order to succeed we have identified the need to strengthen internal controls, consequence management and to mitigate the risks.
“This will improve the effective utilisation of public funds.”
She also said her department was worried about the high number of medical litigations against it and was looking at ways of addressing the matter as well as those affected.
“Our biggest concern remains medico-legal litigations and financial losses and claims incurred in particular from cerebral palsy cases.” The MEC said.
“This condition is marked by impaired muscle coordination (spastic paralysis) and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain at birth.
“This is an area of concern to us and demands thorough investigations and the causes related thereto.
“The department has developed a strategy to limit the impact of contingent liabilities which include the implementation of alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms and the provision of healthcare services for children with cerebral palsy in the department.”