Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
MORE than 5 000 healthcare workers have contracted Covid-19 in Zimbabwe since the outbreak of the global pandemic last year.
Despite the health risks, the frontline workers continue to do their jobs during the pandemic which so far has claimed the lives of 4 249 Zimbabweans.
As of Sunday, Zimbabwe had 122 652 confirmed cases, including 106 810 recoveries and 4 249 deaths.
To date, a total of 2 312 417 people have received their first Covid-19 dose.
The affected health workers include nurses, student nurses, doctors, matrons, laboratory scientists, nurse aides, general hands and pharmacists.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care show that of the 2 780 Covid-19 cases recorded during the past week, 241 were from health care workers in different institutions across the country.
“A total of 5 364 Covid-19 cases have has been recorded amongst health workers and of those a majority are from Harare province which account for 24 percent of all cases. Mashonaland West accounts for 780 cases, Mashonaland East 621 while Bulawayo recorded 549 of the cases,” said the Ministry.
“Matabeleland South has recorded 260 infections among healthcare workers, Matabeleland North 367 while Masvingo and Midlands have recorded 265 and 414 respectively.”
The same report shows that out of the recorded 4 249 deaths, 33 percent of them were reported in Harare.
In an interview, health expert Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said healthcare workers are still at risk given the complacency by members of the public.
“We should try and reduce community transmissions so that they are not affected; so that they do not get infections while caring for patients at work or from the communities where they come from, said Prof Ngwenya.
President Mnangagwa’s administration set aside US$100 million for the purchase of vaccines and US$93 million has so far been used to boost Government’s target to inoculate at least 10 million people, enough to achieve a 60 percent herd immunity.
Zimbabwe acquired just over 12 million vaccines through direct purchase, and has also joined the African Union (AU) vaccine facility after paying US$7,5 million.
The balance will be paid under a loan facility, which will see the country getting about five million shots, and will also get more than one million doses from the Covax facility.
From purchases as well as donations from other countries like China, Zimbabwe has received and secured cumulatively enough jabs to vaccinate at least nine million people, 90 percent of the minimum 10 million required for reaching herd immunity. — @thamamoe
Online Reporter