Massive funding to support vaccination of workers

AN amount of R1.35-billion has been set aside to fund vaccines for uninsured workers who do not have medical aid cover.

The funding, which will benefit an estimated three million workers, is a contribution towards phase two of the country's Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

This phase will include the vaccination of essential workers, persons in congregate settings, persons over 60 years and those over 18 years with co-morbidities.

The initiative is a partnership between the Department of Employment and Labour through the Compensation Fund, Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) and Federated Employer's Mutual Assurance (FEMA).

'The Covid-19 vaccination is unprecedented and is one of the biggest and most expansive national programmes government has undertaken. As government, we cannot successfully carry out this mammoth task on our own.

‘We need all hands on deck to ensure we can prevail over this pandemic,’ said Labour and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi, who announced the initiative during the department's budget vote last week.

The majority of workers who will benefit from this initiative are mainly the vulnerable workers who have the least resources to mitigate loss of income, whether temporary or permanent, as a result of hospitalisation owing to Covid-19 infection.

‘The ripple effects of the financial burden they face are felt by their extended families, who rely on them for their livelihood,’ said Nxesi.

The Compensation Fund has received 22 333 Covid-19 claims and has accepted liability for 11 466 of those.

Of these claims, 71 are in relation to fatalities, with R57-million already spent in support of workers through medical aid, funeral costs and benefits for dependents.