The Department of Health has taken steps to assist farming
communities with the registration for and access to Covid-19 vaccinations.
Roché Butler, spokesperson for the Overberg Health Department,
explains that the Health Department decided to engage with farm owners and farm
managers and formed a forum to discuss ways in which they could ensure that as
many people living on farms could be vaccinated in the shortest amount of time.
“Knowing the challenges these farm workers and their families
face, the Health team in the Theewaterskloof area knew they had to find a way
to make it easily accessible and take their vaccination service to these people,”
she stated.
Dr Renier Liebenberg, Clinical Manager for the Theewaterskloof and
vaccination lead for the area, says the private sector did not hesitate to offer
assistance with the vaccination drive and added: “Most farms or companies in
the area immediately offered assistance with registration staff, transport to
venues, laptops for administration purposes and volunteers to assist with
administration and vaccinations.
“These farms and companies include Paul Cluver
Wines, Kromco, Beaumont Wines, Two-a-Day, Fruitways, Elgin
Free Range Chickens, Dennegeur Farm and Remhoogte Farm. The farming
unions of Greyton, Caledon, Villiersdorp and Riviersonderend also offered
temporary vaccination locations and assisted in registering their employees.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign Dr Liebenberg
and his team have been able to vaccinate more than 500 people over 60 living in
the farming communities and will continue to visit these communities as more
age groups become eligible.
“This approach is the best to ensure we get as many peopled
registered as possible and vaccinated in a control manner,” says Dr Liebenberg.
“By doing it this way, it takes a lot of the pressure off our
facilities, especially the smaller ones. It assists the community in getting
them and their family members vaccinated close to their place of work. Transport
is provided by the employers and they do not need to queue for long periods at
our facilities.”
Butler added: “While this newly formed partnership enables health
workers to vaccinate the community and ensures productivity can continue on
farms as those most vulnerable are protected, the entire project also assists
in building relationships between health workers and the private sector and
will also assist in long term chronic disease management of farm employees.”