Volunteers from a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) have been donating refreshments to health workers in Region A in honour of their efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic by ensuring community members are fully vaccinated.
Frontline workers in Region A recently received 100 goody bags from Connect to Feed, with 43 going to staff at the Midrand Fire station, 29 to the Kanana Non-Medical site and another 28 to employees at the Lord Khanyile vaccination site in Ivory Park.
Connect to Feed nourishes different organisations in Johannesburg that require food, such as old age homes and orphanages, to ensure vulnerable people don’t go to bed hungry.
Upama Srivastava and Seshine Thathiah from Connect to Feed, who have been handing over donated refreshments to vaccination staff in Region A, urge people 18 years and older to continue walking into any vaccination site for assistance.
The City is on a continuous drive in collaboration with civil society organisations to encourage residents to get vaccinated to reduce chances of contracting the coronavirus and to prevent hospitalisation and possible deaths.
“So far, within the 3 non-Medical sites, we have managed to vaccinate close to 39 000 people, and with the help of private-sector partners like Dischem, the numbers are higher than we anticipated,” says Nelly Shongwe, the Deputy Director of Health in Region A.
Shongwe says vaccination staff in Region A will not stop their work until the country reaches herd immunity.
“There’s never been a moment where frontline workers have not been either at the clinics testing or making sure that all services are being delivered.”
Regional Director, Abigail Ndlovu, says ensuring residents eligible to vaccinate do so is the City’s responsibility towards its citizenry.
“Administering the vaccine is also about taking the municipality to the people to ensure all their service delivery needs are met,” says Ndlovu.
In addition, Shongwe calls on those who have already been vaccinated to encourage their colleagues, family members, neighbours, and friends to take the jab.
Written by Gontse ‘GeE’ Hlophe
27/09/2021