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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Health Reporter
Government has given private health facilities the greenlight to roll-out the Covid-19 vaccination exercise to reach out to more Zimbabweans with the vaccines through more health centres.

The private facilities have been allowed to charge a nominal administration fee for administering the jab although Government stated that the vaccines remained free in both public and private facilities.

In a circular seen by The Herald, Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) permanent secretary, Dr Jasper Chimedza, said doctors can charge a fee of ZW$ 434.35 while nurses can charge ZW$220,64 for administering the jab.

“The implementation of the vaccination programme which was being done mainly by the public sector will now be extended to the private health facilities starting with private hospitals, clinics, and private medical aid societies. The Covid vaccination remains free in public institutions and private sector. However, the private sector is allowed to charge a nominal administration fee of injection by doctor using AHFoZ number claim number 90070 ZW$434,35, an injection by nurse 90072 ZW$220,64,” he said.

Dr Chimedza said the private sector should not charge more than the stipulated administration fee.

Government has procured more than 3 million vaccines with more expected to have been delivered by the end of August to ensure the country reaches herd immunity.

Currently, emphasis has been put on hotspots throughout the country, border towns, towns and cities, rural communities, learning institutions, market places, prisons and mining and farming communities.

Dr Chimedza said the private sector would access the vaccines, syringes, registers and vaccination cards from the Provincial Medical directors and city health directors who will be monitoring the implementation of the programme.

“The recruitment of the private sector into this Covid-19 vaccination exercise is subject to participants not charging for the vaccines, daily reporting of statistics to the next level through the PMDs and city health directors and reporting of adverse events following immunisation if any,” he added.