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AFROCENTRIC READIES ITSELF FOR VACCINE ROLL-OUT

South Africa's largest black-owned and diversified health solutions business, AfroCentric is proud to keep the frontline strong and vaccinated in the fight against COVID-19.

To bolster this cause, AfroCentric will utilise its network of 3,000 experienced and registered nurses who will travel anywhere in the country and have the ability to provide over 150,000 vaccinations per day in the right conditions. 

This will help meet the National Department of Health's phased approach for delivery, in partnership with the private sector for:

• 1.25 million frontline healthcare workers prioritised for Phase 1 and
• 16 million essential workers and high risk people, prioritised for Phase 2.

"AfroCentric is working closely with Government to procure COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are approved by SAHPRA and has the infrastructure to rapidly distribute the vaccines, maintaining the cold chain to all corners of South Africa. We have already dispensed more than 10 million prescriptions in 2020,"says AfroCentric CEO Ahmed Banderker. 

AfroCentric's membership base of over 3.8 million lives includes members of GEMS, Polmed, Bonitas, MediPos and other medical schemes that support South Africa's frontline workers. "These are the doctors, nurses, policemen and women who keep us all safe and healthy. They are the postal workers who pay our sorely needed pensions and grants, and the teachers that mould the next generation of leaders. They are the lifeblood of our nation. We are proud to do everything in our power to ensure they are vaccinated and strong enough to carry our country forward,"says Banderker.

This national network of nurses will be mobilised and enabled through mobile technology to take the service to AfroCentric members. These nurses will provide services on an appointment basis at AfroCentric and Medscheme branches, occupational health and primary health clinics nationwide, onsite at the members' place of work and will follow-up with members afterwards to monitor their response to the vaccine.

AfroCentric also has an extensive network of international suppliers and will source WHO-prescribed PPE for healthcare workers to enable them to administer vaccines safely without risk to themselves or our members.

Banderker maintains that education will remain key in fulfilling the optimum rollout of this vaccination drive. "We are using our expertise and resources to educate and encourage members to participate and vaccinate against COVID-19. Together with our Government and all South Africans, I know we can win this fight, and it starts with vaccinations."

He says once AfroCentric's members are taken care of according to the hierarchy of needs determined by the National Department of Health, the group will also work with Government to rollout vaccinations to the rest of the country. "We believe that investing in our people and communities is of great importance as we work towards enhancing quality of life for all South Africans,"concludes Banderker.