October 14, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
Assertion by the Spokesman of Nacoverc, Solomon Jamiru that there is possibility that some medical practitioners might take advantage of the situation to make money for themselves by selling Covid 19 Vaccine cards to individuals who do not want to take the vaccines, has been unearthed by this medium at the District Heath Medical Team Health(DHMT) facility in Waterloo.
The team administering the on-going Covid 19 vaccines especially Nurse Musu and the youth who works with the IPad provided by the government to input the details of persons vaccinated was caught in vaccine fraud on 1st October 2021 when a lady approached Nurse Musu to have a confidential discussion with her.
In her desperation to have a take home that Friday she shelved all she was doing to attend to the girl in the corner. With a smiling face, girl returned and joined those who were waiting for their vaccine cards to be processed. The nurse whispered to the IPad holder about the deal and in response, he expressed that girl should have increased the money so that her card would be given priority.
When contacted for explanation, Nurse Musu shivering as if suffering from cold, denied involving in fraud as for her cohort, he told this reporter to go ahead with the investigation and publication.
It could be recalled that Solomon Jamiru (Esq) who doubles as the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications had spoken tough on vaccination hesitancy and fraud which are causes of concern in the war against the Covid pandemic. He had argued that the issue of fraud is worldwide noting that people would always try to take advantage and beat the system. He had issued stern warning to those defrauding the system saying they are doing so at their risk.
Bra Lamin in Waterloo’s referred to vaccine fraud as a big syndicate and a source of revenue for medical practitioners.
Due to calls for people to take the vaccines and sometimes restriction to enter certain places without the vaccine card, some people believe they can buy the card without taking the two jabs.
A civil society activist on health related issues, Victor Lansana Koroma, Executive Director of Health Alert had done sensitizations against vaccination hesitancy and called on people in the Western Rural District to take the vaccines.