Covid-19 vaccine call-out in Matabeleland
By Letwin Mazarura
Matabeleland South province has called for more Covid-19 vaccination mobile outreach teams to be deployed to remote parts of the province in order to scale up the vaccination exercise and attain herd immunity.
Parliamentarians and traditional leaders from the province said most people were willing to be vaccinated but they were being discouraged by long distances which they had to walk to access clinics.
They added that there was a need to ensure undisrupted supply of vaccines at rural health centres as some people were giving up after walking long distances only to find out that the vaccines had run out.
Beitbridge West Member of Parliament, Ruth Maboyi said mobile outreach teams were yet to reach some remote parts of her constituency.
“There is a challenge when it comes to the vaccination programme in rural areas as some villagers have to walk long distances to get to the clinics. To make matters worse some people have been told after walking long distances to get to the clinics that the vaccines had run out. Some of these will be elderly people who would have struggled to get to the clinics,” said Maboyi.
She said there is a need for the Ministry of Health and Child Care officials to engage stakeholders when deploying outreach teams so that all areas are covered.
“At first people were reluctant to be vaccinated but we have engaged them and most of them are now willling to be vaccinated. The challenge now is long distances travelled and the erratic supply of vaccines. There should be constant supply of vaccines at all vaccination centres so that people are not turned away,” said Deputy Minister Maboyi.
According to Headman Matenga , some people are unwilling to travel over long distances without a guarantee that vaccines would be available.
“It’s easier for people in urban areas to go back to the clinics after failing to get the vaccine because the clinics are close”.
He said Garanyemba Clinic was servicing seven villages and some people had to walk more than 10 kilometres to get there.
“I understand that some people were turned away after the vaccines run out and others who are due for the second dose are now reluctant to return as there is no guarantee they will be vaccinated,” he said.
Government has engaged in a massive vaccination drive in a bid to attain herd immunity. Some of the strategies include turning all health institutions into vaccination centres, deploying mobile vaccination teams to remote areas, allowing churches to invite vaccinaton teams to their premises and also allowing private institutions to vaccinate.
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