KwaBhaca woman, 118, gets the jab.
Health Officials, Politicians and community members of KwaBaca in the Eastern Cape broke into ululations and fleets when one of the oldest woman in the world was vaccinated. Nomamelika Piliso who is 119 years old got her jab of Pfizer vaccine at her home at Emandleni A/A KwaBaca last Friday.
Piliso is not only thought to be one of the world’s oldest living people, but is quite possible also the eldest person to be vaccinated for the coronavirus globally. Alfred Nzo mayor Sixolile Mehlomakhulu, Umzimvubu mayor Sobane Mnikwa, health department district managers and the department’s spokesperson , Sizwe Kupelo, were there to witness Philiso receive her shot. Mehlomakhulu also handed over some gifts, including bed, blankets and a 1.200l water tank, to Philiso.
Mnukwa said a road and bridge leading to the village would be named after her. He also said she would be registered with Guinness World Records as the oldest person in the world. Philiso’s vaccination comes after a struggle, this after Philiso was visited by Community Health Workers who conduct door to door and register people on EVDS. They came across her and at first struggled to register her in the system because her ID number began with 02 and in the system appeared as being born in 2002.
The department of Health in the district escalated the matter to the Provincial Department of Health and ultimately to the National office and that ‘s where Philiso’s matter was resolved and was ultimately registered in the EVDS system.
Philiso loves her veggies “I love imifino [Morogo], isigwamba [Maize meal and spinach], fish and carrots and red meat, and drink water. “I used to love samp and beans, but now my teeth are no longer strong and I am no longer young anymore, so my samp needs to be overcooked”, she said.
Philiso’s eyesight is poor and she struggles to walk. “But my ears are very sharp- you cannot whisper and think I cannot hear”, Philiso said. About the corona virus, she said: “I have heard that many elderly people have died of corona virus. “Now I am happy that I have been vaccinated and asked others to get this injection. I am doing it for myself and others.
Kupelo said she felt blessed to have interacted with Philiso. “She is the oldest person we know to have been vaccinated in the province, and I hope in the entire country. If not the world,” Kupelo said. He said in Philiso’s village there were 30 elderly residents to have been vaccinated, several of them aged above 90. The health department was happy with the progress of the vaccination programme, he said.
“We received 76,000 doses on Thursday another 76,000 on Friday from the national health department. “We have more than 3,000 health care workers and we hired 34 additional vehicles to do door-to-door visiting and assisting elderly people with registration”, said Kupelo.
