Zutari stresses the importance of public and private sector collaboration in the national vaccine rollout
 | Zutari stresses the importance of public and private sector collaboration in the national vaccine rollout_approved.docx | 36.31 KB | Download |
 Preview | Kate Roper Client Director for Government, Health and Education at Zutari (2).jpg | 5.56 MB | Download |
 Preview | The Dr Pixley Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital fast-tracked to manage the Covid-19 pandemic response in KZN.jpg | 4.27 MB | Download |
“It will require the active involvement of all spheres of government, all sectors of society and all citizens and residents of our country,” according to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Having already worked with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in terms of programme management support, Zutari is offering its expertise on a national and provincial level, as well as to the Premiers Offices and the five major metropolitan councils.
“We have to scale up from about ten million injections a year at present to upward of 60 million, depending if we opt for a single- or two-dose option,” explains Kate Roper, Client Director for Government, Health and Education at Zutari. Therefore the DOH has opted to bring private logistics service providers onboard to coordinate the importation and distribution of the different vaccines available.
“Getting the correct people and number of vaccines to the right place, along with the necessary vaccinators on a particular date and time, is going to require massive coordination between all stakeholders,” highlights Roper. Zutari’s work for the DOH and IEC to date has focused on centralising information from a variety of data sets to create simple dashboards that can quickly and efficiently flag any risks.
In terms of the vaccination drive itself, this includes contingencies such as an unexpected number of people arriving at a vaccination site, vaccinators themselves becoming ill and hence being unable to work, or even potential power outages that mean fridges cannot operate. Here a rapid response is critical to ensure that the entire process runs smoothly and engenders trust among the public.
Zutari has also assisted the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre in Midrand with the Emergency Management System it uses to plan patient transport and deploy ambulances when needed. On the healthcare infrastructure front, Zutari has completed two new hospitals within the last year, alongside facility upgrades for the Covid-19 response.
The first was Cintocare Head and Neck Hospital in Pretoria, the first Green Star South Africa Custom Healthcare Design certified hospital and the first Green Star rated healthcare facility on the continent. The second was the R3 billion Dr. Pixley Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital in KwaMashu north of Durban, which was fast-tracked to manage the Covid-19 pandemic response in KwaZulu-Natal.
Zutari has also played a key role in the National Ventilator Project for the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. This voluntary collaboration between experts from diverse backgrounds saw the local design and development of four innovative breathing devices that have proven essential in providing oxygen therapy for Covid-19 patients.
Looking to the future, Roper predicts that the experimental mRNA technology used to develop the Covid-19 vaccine in record time is likely to result in new advances in the treatment of cancer, for example. “The other area where we are likely to see major advances is in infection prevention and control, where tried-and-tested materials like copper and silver are likely to become more prominent as surface finishes due to their anti-microbial properties,” she elaborates.
In terms of the likely progression of the pandemic, Roper points to recent serological studies highlighting that nearly half of all South Africans have been exposed to Covid-19 and developed antibodies. The issue of population immunity itself is complicated by the fact that the coronavirus is mutating rapidly, which means that a yearly booster shot is likely to be required even once the majority of the population has been vaccinated. “What it means is that we cannot let our guard down, even with the vaccines, and will have to practice social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitising measures for a long time to come,” she concludes.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Zutari link to view the company’s press office.
About Zutari
As engineering consultants and trusted advisors, Zutari co-creates an engineered impact that enables environments, communities and economies to thrive. Few others can match our local capacity, long-standing presence and understanding of the challenges required to operate successfully across various regions in Africa.
We have created an impact across Africa for the past 88 years (1932 to 2020) and remain committed to this continent, making us the perfect partner to those less familiar with working in Africa. We are experienced in international projects and our Global Design Centres allow us to bring world-class solutions to our clients.
As a private management-owned company, our commitment is true and we have vested interest in our clients’ success. Our strong relationships allow us to connect the right expertise, processes and resources to match client’s needs and bring stakeholders that have shared interests together.
We blend the old and the new. We have moved beyond traditional engineering and work collaboratively to integrate technical and creative thinking. This process of co-creation allows us to unearth new opportunities with our clients and partners.
Zutari’s broad collective of in-house, industry-recognised engineering consultants and trusted advisors provide seamless and integrated delivery. This unique ability to offer scaled engagement allows Zutari to solve complex challenges more efficiently.
Grounded in digital engineering, we continuously deliver better results.
Zutari Contact
Rashree Maharaj
PR and Media Advisor
Email: Rashree [dot] Maharaj [at] zutari [dot] com
Tel: (012) 427 2000
Media Contact
Rachel Mekgwe
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867 7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 074 212 1422
Email: rachel [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the NGAGE Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za