19 Aug 2021

Ministry of Health and Wellness says it is exploring new ways of providing services at Greater Gaborone  vaccination centres due to the overcrowding being experienced.

Speaking during a media briefing in Gaborone yesterday, ministry permanent secretary Ms Grace Muzila acknowledged that Greater Gaborone centres were experiencing challenges in the implementayion of phase two vaccination.

She said high turnout was  causing congestion at the centres.

Although high turnout showed people’s eagerness to be vaccinated, the ministry was concerned over non-compliance to the social distancing health protocol, Ms Muzila said.

The ministry was therefore seized with finding innovative ways  of avoiding congestion at the same time vaccinating as many people as possible.

She said the initiatives were important to reduce congestion that might expose health personnel and those seeking vaccination to COVID-19 infection.

Among the initiatives Ms Muzila mentioned using a block booking system to schedule people for vaccination.

She said the ministry had improved the registration  access link.

The permanent secretary urged people to continue registering online which she said would assist in scheduling.

Also under consideration was the engagement of more retired nurses to increase vaccination personnel, said Ms Muzila.

Other initiatives being mooted  include the use of a toll free line and opening on weekends.

Regarding vaccination centres in other parts of the country, Ms Muzila said they were not experiencing any overcrowding challenges.

For her part, Department of Health Services acting director, Dr Pamela Smith-Lawrence advised Batswana to take any COVID-19 vaccine on offer.

Revealing that some customers were expressing preference for certain types of vaccine, Dr Smith-Lawrence said that should not be the case.

“Now it’s a matter of life and death,” she said stressing that it was important to take whaetever was available to reduce the mortality rate.

Dr Smith-Lawrence said to date 11.3 per cent of the eligible population had been vaccinated.

Depending on vaccine availability, she said, the intention was to have the entire population vaccinated by March  next year.

Phase two category, currently covering 45 years of age and above,  resumed Wednesday countrywide following the arrival recently of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca consignments.BOPA