Govt vets private hospitals to give Covid jabs

Government is assessing private health facilities to offer Covid-19 vaccination as efforts to increase uptake continue.

This will open up the exercise to all Ugandans who are willing to pay, even when not in the government priority category.

The ministry is currently vaccinating health workers, teachers, security personnel, persons aged 70 years and above, and people with comorbidities.

“The Ministry of Health is in the process of accrediting private health facilities to provide Covid-19 vaccination. The list will be provided once an understanding has been reached and a memorandum of understanding has been signed spelling out the modalities of the collaboration,” Dr Jane Aceng, the Minister of Health, said.

The ministry started the vaccination with only government health facilities, including health centre IIIs and IVs, district hospitals, regional referrals, national referral hospitals and specialised institutions as vaccination service points.

Dr Alfred Driwale, the head of immunisation at the ministry, said the facilities should have been involved in routine vaccination and should have a cold chain system for keeping the vaccines.
The ministry also requires that a team of six health workers be committed to the vaccination exercise.

“They must have staff in line with what has been arranged. We need a six-team member; two  for education, explaining the procedures and filling the  consent form and  vaccination card, two for the vaccination exercise, one observer and the other for record taking,” Dr Driwale said.

Dr Patrick Kintu, the executive director of Case Hospital, said they have already applied and their staff is awaiting training by the ministry.

Government is targeting to vaccinate 22 million Ugandans above the age of 18. Private hospital that will be approved will, for now, will get the vaccines through the National Medical stores as private pharmaceuticals have not yet been approved.

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