The Covid-19 vaccination station at Rand Aid’s Elphin Lodge retirement village and Ron Smith Care Centre has been set up.
As the second phase of South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccination programme is soon to commence, Rand Aid Association’s staff and residents have already been registered with the Department of Health to receive their jab.
“The Department of Health gave specific instructions on how to set up vaccination stations and what equipment to provide,” says Rand Aid’s senior nursing manager Avril Maltman, who is heading up the project.
Avril is liaising with each village manager and sister to ensure that these requirements are met.
“Vaccination stations, similar to the one set up at Elphin Lodge, will also be set up at Thornhill Manor and Tarentaal, the latter of which will also serve Inyoni Creek,” says Avril.
“We have been informed by the Department of Health that vaccination at facilities for older persons will commence on 17 May, however we have not yet received specific dates for Rand Aid’s facilities,” she adds.
The number of residents that can be vaccinated per day will depend on the number of vaccinators available from the Department of Health. Each vaccinator can vaccinate about 40 people per day.
“Our planning depends on how many staff the department brings, the number of days it allocates for each site and whether different days are allocated for each site,” says Avril.
“Our village sisters and identified staff at Ron Smith Care Centre have been trained as vaccinators. We will thus be able to supplement the official vaccinators, depending on whether different days are allocated to different villages,” she adds.
Each vaccination station includes a waiting area, where chairs are provided while residents wait for their turn; a registration station, where residents will be ‘checked in’; a screening station; which will include a temperature check and questionnaire; a waiting area after screening, from which residents will be called for vaccination; a vaccination station, where monitors will direct residents to the next available vaccinator; and an observation station, where residents will be observed after their vaccination for any possible side effects.
“Extremely frail residents will be given priority during the process as it’s difficult for them to queue,” says Avril.
“As soon as dates have been confirmed by the Department of Health, all residents will be notified,” she adds.
