As more vaccines arrive in the Western Cape, authorities will be able to open more sites and vaccinate more people. This is part of the Western Cape Health Department’s plan to scale-up approach, that will see the number of daily vaccinations administered increase from 6000 a day this week, to over 12 000 a day next week. The plan is to reach 24 000 a day by the week of 7 June. This approach, in particular, will prevent a stop/start vaccination programme because it has factored in the supply of vaccines, which arrive weekly.
No one week will be the same, and the department has adjusted and adapted to ensure they are agile, and always providing the best possible services to their residents.
No voucher? Walk-in? What does this mean?
This past week they have seen many people present to vaccination sites without their second SMS which confirms their appointment. The department says they have not and will not turn anyone away who meets the criteria – but the person presenting to a vaccination site without this SMS is informed of the chance that they (a) may wait longer as we will prioritise those with their appointment SMSs and (b) the site can only accommodate a certain number of walk-ins, based on the number of persons scheduled with appointments and allocated vaccines. This means that there is no guarantee that you will be vaccinated if you decide to go without an appointment.
To manage this approach, they introduced a queue system, so that residents who walk-in can be assisted in terms of this additional margin created and or receive a vaccine from a missed appointment.
Health authorities understand that the national EVDS system has not been working as well as it should, and this has caused many residents not to receive their SMS. In some cases, SMSs were sent through this system, but it was for a site too far away, or at too short notice.
They have been given partial control over the scheduling of appointments – which will now enable the department’s local teams to control the distribution of scheduled appointments at each site in the province. The teams will now be working to align the registrations with the scheduling and aim to provide a 3-day to 7-day lead time, going forward, so that residents have enough time to get to their vaccination site. They will also make sure that sites are selected close to where the person resides.
“We ask for your understanding and patience as we roll-out this unprecedented project, which will be the biggest vaccination operation in our province’s history,” said the Western Cape Health Department.
What can be expected from Monday, 31 May – 4 June
This coming week, the Department will be bringing online 68 more public vaccinations sites/service (including outreach teams), while the private sector will bring online four more private sites.
This means that we will have 137 public and private vaccination sites/service points operational next week. Some of these sites will be continue with outreaches to old age homes. Several fixed ‘rural’ sites (sites outside the Metro) will also start coming online as vaccination sites once they have visited all their old age homes.
Vaccination sites will continue to prioritise booked clients, who have received their appointment SMS, but, as set out above, they will as far as possible also accommodate walk-in clients who have not yet received this SMS.
Already operating sites:
On 17 May we started with seven sites:
• Brooklyn Chest Hospital
• Mitchells Plain Hospital
• Helderberg Hospital
• Khayelitsha Hospital
• Karl Bremer Hospital
• Brackenfell Clinic
• Pelican Park CDC
On the 18 May we increased it with an additional 10 sites, bringing the total number of sites to 17, as well as an occupational health (Civic Centre) site bringing it to 18 sites:
• Gugulethu CHC
• Hanover Park CDC
• Cross Roads CHC
• Dr Abdurahman CDC
• Inzame Zabantu CHC
• Heideveld CHC
• Mitchells Plain CHC
• Nyanga CDC
• Mathew Goniwe Clinic
• Eerste River Clinic
As scaled-up, we brought more sites online:
• Bishop Lavis CDC
• Bothasig CDC
• Adriaanse Clinic
• Kuyasa CDC
• Tafelsic Clinic
• Delft CHC
• DP Marais Hospital
• Durbanville CDC
• Goodwood CDC
• Hope Street Dental
• Khayalitsha Site B CHC
• Kleinvlei CDC
• Kraaifontein CHC
• Kuyasa Public Library
• Landsdowne Library Hall
• Michale Mapongwane CDC
• New Somerset Hospital
• Nolungile CDC
• Reed Street CDC
• St Vincent CDC
• Stikland Hospital
• Symphony Way CDC
• Tafelsig Thusong Centre
• Lotus River CDC with
• Lady Michaelis CDC and
• Mamre CDC coming online on Friday 28 May.
Our Rural sites which have gone online this past week to act as delivery sites for the vaccines and open for outreaches include:
• Beaufort West Hospital
• Harry Comay Hospital
• TC Newman CDC
• Worcester CDC
• Caledon Hospital
• Swartland Hospital
In addition to the public sites, the following private sites have also come online:
Clicks
• Constantia
• Tygervalley
• Westcoast Village
• Blue Route
• Paarl Mall
• Vredendal Mall
• Edgemead
Medi Clinic
• Cape Gate
• Milnerton
• Geneva
• Vergelegen
FROM 31 MAY, THE FOLLOWING SITES WILL ALSO BE COMING ONLINE:
• The following sites have been provisionally identified to come online in the weeks to come.
• Some of these sites may open and then be closed once all registered eligible persons have been vaccinated.
• Some may also only have been open to healthcare workers previously.
• Some of these sites may only be rendering outreach services to old age homes.
• Some sites’ opening dates might change, but this will be communicated locally.
CITY OF CAPE TOWN (19 sites):
31 May
Bishop Lavis CDC
Albow Gardens CDC
Ikhwezi CDC
Sarepta Clinic
Sir Lowry’s Pass CDC
Elsies River CHC
False Bay Hospital
Gustrouw CDC
Macassar CDC
Macassar CIvic
Mfuleni Afrika Tikkun
Mfuleni CDC
Ravensmead CDC
Scottsdene CDC
1 June
District Six CDC
Du Noon CHC
Kensington CDC
3 June
Retreat CHC
4 June
Vanguard CHC
Date TBC
Alexandra Hospital
Eerste River Hospital
CAPE WINELANDS:
31 May
Ceres Hospital
Kallie de Wet Hall
TC Newman CDC
Touws River Clinic
Van Der Stel Sports Grounds
Worcester Town Hall
Date TBC
Aan-het-pad Clinic
Bella Vista Clinic
Cloetesville CDC
De Doorns Clinic
Don and Pat Bilton Clinic
Empilisweni (Worcester) Clinic
Groendal Community Hall
Idas Valley Clinic
Kayamandi Clinic
Klapmuts Multi-Purpose Centre
Kylemore Clinic
Mbekweni CDC
Orchard Clinic
Rawsonville Clinic
Sandhills Clinic
Stellenbosch Hospital
Wellington CDC
Worcester CDC
CENTRAL KAROO (9 sites of which the teams will visit Old Age Homes first between 31 May and 4 June)
31 May
Beaufort West CDC
CKD Roving Team
Hillside Clinic
Kwamandlenkosi Clinic
Laingsburg Clinic
Nieuveldpark Clinic
2 June
Leeu-Gamka Clinic
Murraysburg Clinic
Nelspoort Clinic
Date TBC
Prince Albert Clinic
Beaufort West Hospital
GARDEN ROUTE (5 sites of which the teams will visit Old Age Homes first between 31 May and 4 June)
31 May
George Central Clinic
Harry Comay TB Hospital
Mossel Bay Outreach Mobile
Thembalethu CDC
Uniondale Hospital
Date TBC
George Mobile
Knysna Town Hall
Ladismith DRC Church Hall
Plettenberg Bay Clinic
Riversdale Civic Centre
Van Wyksdorp Church hall
Heidelberg Duivenhoks Hall
Zoar Sports Club
Albertinia Theronsville Hall
Calitzdorp DRC Church Hall
Slangrivier Satellite Clinic
Alan Blyth Hospital
Knysna CDC
OVERBERG (14 sites)
31 May
Bereaville Satellite Clinic
Buffeljagsrivier Clinic
Church Hall Buffeljagsrivier
Elim Satellite Clinic
Genadendal Clinic
Greyton Satellite Clinic
Napier Clinic
Stanford Clinic
Suurbraak Clinic
Swellendam PHC Clinic
Tesselaarsdal Satelite Clinic
Thusong Hall, Hawston
Voorstekraal Satellite Clinic
Waenhuiskrans Satellite Clinic
Date TBC
Barrydale Clinic
Botrivier Clinic
Chapel Bettysbay
Fort Haven Hall Barrydale
Grabouw Thusong centre
Mooi Uitsig Community Hall
Riviersonderend Clinic
Struisbaai Clinic
WEST COAST (15 sites)
31 May
Aurora Satellite Clinic
Piketberg Clinic
Porterville Clinic
Velddrif Clinic
1 June
Citrusdal Clinic
Citrusdal Hospital
Clanwilliam Hospital
Dial Rock Saldanha
Diazville Community hall
DiazvilleCommunity hall
Elands Bay Clinic
Graafwater Clinic
Lamberts Bay Clinic
Saldanha Multi-purpose Hall
Vredendal North Community Hall
Date TBC
Wittewater Satellite Clinic
Goedverwacht Satellite Clinic
Vredendal South Community Hall
Wupperthal Clinic
Radie Kotze Hospital
More private sites to come online soon:
Dischem:
• Parow Centre (1 June)
• Bayside Mall, Tableview (1 June)
Discovery Virgin Active:
• Claremont (TBC)
• N1 City (TBC)
“We would also appreciate your support by waiting for your second SMS, as it will enable our sites to operate more efficiently. These SMSs will be coming in greater numbers as all these sites come online,” they said.
Everyone who is 60 or older is encouraged to please register for your vaccine. If you are not yet 60, please help someone who is. We are all in this together.
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