Over 100 taxi operators, commuters and hawkers received Covid-19 vaccination in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Monday, 18 October 2021, as part of this year’s transport month programme.
Running for the second year, this pop-up health activation programme is a partnership between the City’s transport and health departments, which is geared towards promoting road safety awareness and education on compliance to the Covid-19 regulations.
Taxi operators, commuters and hawkers also had a chance to be screened for other health conditions which were conducted by qualified nurses and counsellors. These included check for hypertension (blood pressure), cholesterol, diabetes, body mass index and HIV/Aids tests.
Dobsonville, Roodepoort, Leratong, Johannesburg Taxi Association chairperson Itumeleng Chambata says the taxi association is grateful to the City of Johannesburg for assisting them with the vaccine programme as most taxi drivers are always busy on the road and don’t get time to go to vaccine sites.
“They work extremely long hours and hardly get time to go for regular medical check-ups,” says Chambata.
For 18-year-old Zandi Tsholo, getting vaccinated has always been something she feared but after speaking to the healthcare providers about the benefits, she changed her mind.
“I am very happy that I got an opportunity to make an informed decision today because I am now less likely to become severely ill or die from Covid-19-related complications.”
The mobile health screening and promotion event continues to have a positive impact on the lives of taxi drivers and commuters as it assists in detecting a particular condition or disease early, even when there haven’t been any signs or symptoms of that disease.
Early detection means getting the right treatment at the right time, which gives people better control of their health. Moreover, complications can also be avoided through health screenings.
19/10/2021