Traditional healers in South Africa have asked their government to be included in the first vaccine rollout meant for frontline workers, SABC News reports.
The Southern African Development Community Traditional Health Practitioners Association leader Professor Mbayimbayi Hlathi reportedly said about 80% of South Africans visit traditional healers which make them frontline workers in their own sense:
We are calling to be in the first group to be vaccinated because the Constitution has put us in the Department of Health.
We are not working for the department, but we are with them. In South Africa, about 80% of people see traditional practitioners.
The traditional practitioners see lots of clients and with COVID-19, how can you leave the traditional practitioners behind?
South Africa received the first batch of the vaccine on Monday and according to the Minister of Health, the vaccine is meant for frontline workers and the rest of the vaccine will be refrigerated awaiting a rollout plan by the South African government.
The South African government is yet to respond to the traditional healers on their request.
More: SABC News