No one was prepared for the impacts of COVID-19, and overall Australia has seen a far smaller impact than many other nations. With this in mind, we are more than understanding of the delay that Vodafone seems to have had in enacting their Healthcare worker specific responses to COVID-19.
Vodafone did announce their 2 months of free network access for Healthcare workers, in the wake of Optus’s similar offer, but to date has not announced specifics of the program.
In a statement to Ausdroid a Vodafone spokesperson said:
“We’re very proud to be offering an unprecedented package of initiatives to support all our customers during COVID-19.
We’ve been prioritising assistance for customers in financial hardship, in particular our temporary $10 Stay Connected Cap plan which launched this week. This plan allows customers who have lost their job or income to stay connected with unlimited standard national voice calls and text plus 3GB for just $10 per month for three months while they get back on their feet.
We’re pleased to let customers know that applications for our offer to registered healthcare practitioners will be available on 8 May via our website. We value the important work AHPRA members are doing and look forward to saying thank you with a two-month credit on their Vodafone service.“
It’s hard to argue with Vodafone prioritizing access for those in financial hardship over those healthcare workers who are AHPRA registered. We understand that not all healthcare workers are still at work, many private outpatient-focused health professionals have been impacted like so many other Australians, for them perhaps the new Vodafone Stay Connected $10 plan may be the best option?
For those healthcare workers wanting to maintain their current plan and access the original offer from Vodafone hang tight until 8 May. We will check back with Vodafone in early May if details don’t emerge.
In the meantime, stay safe and follow the latest guidance from federal and state health authorities.
