Momentum CEO questions centralised procurement plan
Momentum Metropolitan CEO Hillie Meyer has expressed concern about SA’s proposed centralised Covid-19 vaccine procurement approach, saying the country needs to use all available resources to ensure the population is inoculated.
“I’m very concerned about the very centralised approach — it’s almost like everything has to be recorded on a system that is run by the department of health,” Meyer told Business Day in an interview.
“If vaccines are more readily available we don’t need the control. It’s like polio — people know they’ve got to get inoculated. People will go, we don’t have to force people … we can’t in any case.”
Meyer said Momentum was not in any way looking at procuring Covid-19 shots independent of government initiatives as this would be “counterproductive”, but emphasised the need for a public-private partnership that would ensure SA leverages all possible avenues to speed up vaccination.
He said even if SA could achieve an initial target of 15-million vaccinations it would have a big impact in reducing excess deaths as vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with co-morbidities, would be among the first recipients with front-line workers.
“[In that event] at least some of the most vulnerable people would, if they do get the virus, not get it as severely,” he said. “Every little bit helps.”
Trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum said on Tuesday the government had admitted in court papers there are no legal restrictions preventing the private sector from buying and distributing Covid-19 vaccines. Health minister Zweli Mkhize had previously stated that all Covid-19 vaccines would be acquired and distributed by the government, prompting Solidarity and AfriForum to threaten legal action as they argued that excluding the private sector was unconstitutional.
The two affiliated groups then approached the high court to compel the government to provide greater clarity on the legality of the state’s proposed centralised vaccination plan. On Tuesday they announced that the government had admitted in responding court papers that there were no legal restrictions preventing the private sector from purchasing and distributing vaccines.
VACCINATION CENTRES
Given the global scarcity of the vaccine, it is not uncommon for governments to adopt a centralised approach to the vaccination programme that prioritises high-risk individuals. Under SA’s vaccine rollout plan, private companies would be able to buy the dose from the government.
Meyer said Momentum Metropolitan had visited staterun vaccination centres and that it took on average 25 minutes to inoculate one person, which he described as “not good enough”.
He also said the group had “sent out feelers” to assess whether vaccines could be acquired quickly by the private sector, which convinced him “even more” that SA could source vaccines faster than the government’s plan allows.
“I’m a little bit concerned with this obsession with centralisation and control,” said Meyer. “If we can only get 10,000 vaccines, then we’ve got to prioritise. But if we can get 40-million vaccines, then we don’t need these controls.”
The debate about whether the state should centralise SA’s Covid-19 vaccine procurement and inoculation drive comes amid growing scepticism of the government after years of rampant corruption under previous president Jacob Zuma.
The Special Investigating Unit is investigating 2,500 suspect contracts for personal protective equipment worth about R13.3bn, which were awarded between April and November 2020.
Meyer also said SA needs to be more ambitious with its vaccination drive and should aim to inoculate 10-million people a month.
“I know that’s 300,000 a day, but I think it’s possible,” said Meyer. “The private sector on its own can probably inoculate 10-million people in a month.”
Meyer also emphasised the need for all stakeholders in both the private and public sector to work together to streamline logistics processes and ensure a smooth vaccination rollout.
“We should aim to inoculate the whole population in six months,” said Meyer. “Then we will prevent a fourth wave, but I think it’s too late for a third wave [to be prevented].”
IT’S ALMOST LIKE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE RECORDED ON A SYSTEM THAT IS RUN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH