Staff Reporter
Free State Health MEC Montseng Tsiu says the over R500 million given to her department to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic will assist in hiring more staff to ensure the roll-out of the vaccination programme is a success.
The department will receive R561 million in the first two financial years of a three-year cycle, specifically for COVID-19-related measures.
Tsiu told The Free Stater soon after the delivery of the provincial budget by Finance MEC Gadija Brown on Tuesday that the allocation has come at an important time as the province is ready to implement the vaccination programme.
“What I find important is that I have been given money that is specifically allocated to fight COVID-19,” said an excited Tsiu.
“So, I will be able to increase the staff and also be able to buy the necessary things that we may need to ensure that we roll out the vaccine,” she added.
The MEC said the province, which now has five active sites for COVID-19 vaccinations, will have a total of 31 sites when the inoculation programme is extended to the general public.
At least 67 percent of the people in the province should be vaccinated in order to build herd immunity.
This means at least 1.9 million of the 2.9 million people in the Free State will be vaccinated to minimise the spread of the virus.
Overall, the health department will spend more than R35.752 billion over the next three years.
It will receive R12.135 billion in the 2021/22 financial year followed by R11.807 billion in 2022/23 and R11.810 billion in 2023/24.
The other priorities to be funded over the period include:
- Medicine, medical supplies and medical waste
- National Health Laboratory Services and blood services
- Child vaccination programmes
- Anti-retroviral and TB treatment as well as human papillomavirus Vaccine
- Community outreach services programme
- Medical depot
- Food services and relevant supplies
- Training and development of medical staff
- Refurbishment, upgrading and maintenance of infrastructure
- Appointment of interns and filling of community service posts.