Our COVID-19 Hub helps drive education and vaccination
The 3rd wave of COVID-19 , which is predominantly the Delta variant , had a major impact on our healthcare system , with reports of hospital admissions being significantly higher than during waves 1 and 2 . Principal Officer , Lee Callakoppen says that Bonitas can attest to this by the ongoing monitoring and analysis provided by the actuarial teams . He says that in 2020 , the total number of members hospitalised due to COVID-19 was 8 111 , opposed to 10 515 over the past seven and a half months . With experts predicting a 4th wave in South Africa starting towards December 2021 , education and information about curbing the pandemic is even more important .
COVID Hub – education for everyone At the outset of the pandemic , we created an informative and educational COVID-19 Hub as a reliable source of information for you , our members . It was a means to help educate and empower you about the coronavirus . The information on the Hub includes helping identify symptoms , providing guidelines on how and where to be tested and receive treatment .
Recently , we enhanced and bolstered this centralised , digital COVID-19 information Hub and made it accessible to all South Africans - www . bonitas . co . za / covid .
As new scientific data becomes available , we will continue to update the Hub . Current information includes dispelling myths around the vaccine , highlighting safety protocols , the different type of COVID-19 tests and explaining the difference between COVID-19 , the common cold and flu . One of the key elements is the comprehensive guide to recovering from COVID-19 , which includes tips for caregivers , the do ’ s and don ’ ts of COVID-19 recovery , as well as post-COVID care tips .
Now , given the increased vaccination drive and them being open to a wider group , we have further enhanced the site to assist you with registration and help speed up the process at Bonitas vaccination sites .
Private vaccination sites As Bonitas members you have access to dedicated partner vaccination sites which adhere to all the required safety regulations and are staffed by qualified nurses . Additional sites will come on-line in the next few weeks .
‘ In addition , we have facilitated the opening of vaccination facilities at major scheme employer sites , such as Eskom ,’ says Mr Callakoppen . ‘ And are continually engaging with corporates , as well as our brokers and financial advisors , to improve the support we provide .
‘ We have conducted a total of 373 675 PCR tests , 188 074 of these were between January and mid- August this year , with 40 316 members testing
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Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 3 | 2021