As an engaged institution, Nelson Mandela University is committed to playing its part in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic by sharing of its expertise in partnership with others.
Part of its contribution to date has been the establishment of a Covid-19 vaccination centre on its north campus in Gqeberha to serve Mandela University staff members, students and the public, especially its neighbouring Summerstrand, Humewood and South End residents, in line with the national vaccination rollout programme.
By July 9, the university had vaccinated more than 2,500 people since opening the centre’s doors on June 14 to the over-60s, and then the over-50s.
The university has been touched by the response of residents.
Their visit to the campus has been wonderful in the way that it practically illustrates how Nelson Mandela University and the community can work together to ensure each one of us gets vaccinated, and that we achieve the herd immunity threshold sooner rather than later.
It is also not lost on us that in the midst of the doom and gloom, there is recognition that one step at a time, and one individual at a time, the vaccination process demonstrates a quiet resolve to actively contribute to the local and national effort to bring Covid-19 to heel.
Given the need, we would like to increase our daily figures, especially with vaccination of the 35-to-49 age group looming.
To this end, we are negotiating with the department of health and medical aid service providers to supplement our present limited nursing capacity.
This will enable us to open all 10 vaccination stations, up from the present six in the centre, and thereby increase and improve our service to the public.
Our own occupational health services and student health services nursing staff are undertaking this life-saving service over and above their regular working commitments, which now also includes Covid-19 surveillance and management of the university’s 4,000 staff members and 29,000 students.
The knock-on effect of the present capacity constraints means the university has had to adjust its operating hours (now 9am to 2pm, Mondays to Thursdays, and 9am to 12pm on Fridays), and introduce access control at our north campus entrance to better manage the number of “walk-ins”.
As with all other such vaccination sites, there may be the odd times when we need to turn individuals away.
We wish to avoid this wherever possible and so implore your readers wishing to take up the walk-in vaccination opportunity at Nelson Mandela University to reach our Summerstrand site long before the closing times.
You need only bring proof of your registration on the national Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS), your ID and medical aid card, if you have a medical aid, and be vaccinated on our north campus in less than hour.
For additional information, check out our vaccination rollout page or contact occupationalhealth@mandela.ac.za or call 041-504-1003.
We thank you for your understanding and support in beating the pandemic and saving lives and livelihoods.
This article appeared in The Herald (South Africa) on 15 Jul 2021 written by Debbie Derry, Deputy Director: Communication, at Mandela University