By Shelby Brooks
A Clyde North GP clinic is calling on the Australian Government to be give the green light to open a Pfizer vaccination hub out of its clinic.
Doctors on Clyde managing director Dalia Atwa, along with the clinical director and practice manager, said the clinic “needs to be part of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine roll out now, not put on hold until October.”
“The local community demand is extraordinary and we feel that all help should be accepted. However, our multiple requests from the start have been met with adversity and there has been many unnecessary pitfalls and obstacles that we have had to endure and continue to face,” Ms Atwa said in a press release.
Ms Atwa said when the original expression of interest for the AstraZeneca vaccine was released to GP clinics, they “jumped at the chance to be able to become part of the bigger picture and become a vaccinating clinic” and were “excited at the possibility of giving back to our community and being part of an Australian wide fight against Covid-19.”
“[As the] managing director, [I] allocated additional funds to the purchasing of a new vaccine fridge, extra seating for patients and other resources to ensure the clinic would be able to meet all the criteria and demands. All the staff, doctors and nurses proudly achieved all the training requirements necessary to participate,” Ms Atwa said, who went onto explain their first application was declined on a “technicality” about an accreditation status.
“A matter of months down the line to add insult to injury when the powers that be realised they needed additional help with the vaccine roll out, we were asked to resubmit our EOI regardless of accreditation status. Suddenly we were deemed good enough to be part of the AstraZeneca roll out!” Ms Atwa said.
Since then, Ms Atwa said the clinic watched “full appointment books dwindle to nothing” after the government recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine for over 60-year-olds.
Access to the AstraZeneca vaccine has recently been expanded to adults under 40, with informed consent.
“The Australian Government then decided to start back peddling by offering indemnity to GP clinics who vaccinate AstraZeneca to patients under 60 years old but it’s all too little too late and the damage had already been done,” Ms Atwa said.
“Pfizer is the word that is on everyone’s lips, Pfizer is the vaccine of choice, Pfizer is what is going to get all Australians vaccinated by the end of the year.
“So why then as a keen, willing and able clinic are we shunned again? Why are we put on a waiting list and told to wait till October when we can start now?”
Ms Atwa said the clinic’s goal was to be able to offer progressive and up to date services.
“However, reaching the goal of being progressive and up to date has become an impossible task when we can’t even offer our local population their Covid-19 vaccination of choice,” Ms Atwa said.
“At this time, we feel it is vital that we join the campaign to keep Australia safe and vaccinated, it is not the time to be reluctant and hold us on a waiting list. We are eager to participate and provide much needed support to The Department of Health.
“It is very detrimental to the local communities to have very few options as to where they can be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.”
Adjoining the clinic under the same roof and tenancy, the clinic boasts a 100sqm area that has the potential to become a separate vaccinating area, Ms Atwa said.
“Add to this the four division one nurses we currently employ and 12 GPs and we have massive potential, ability and capacity to become a vaccinating hub for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.”
