Covid-ravaged Gauteng bullish despite beds shortage

Amid reports of private hospital group Netcare flying patients from the coronavirus-ravaged Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal, the provincial government on Monday was bullish about coping with the crisis.

This is despite the third wave of Covid-19 infections devastating Gauteng, leading to hospitals in the province running out of bed space.

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While not ruling out the reopening of the 500-bed Nasrec Covid-19 field hospital. Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, said the provincial government had doubled its bed capacity since the pandemic outbreak, having employed 5000 healthcare workers – now complimented by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel.

With 43,000 new cases having been reported in South Africa in the past few days, Gauteng accounted for 26,000 – becoming the epicentre of the third wave of infections.

The soaring of Gauteng’s infection rate has seen the provincial figure rising above the Western Cape at 9% and North West at 7%.

With Nasrec having been decommissioned at the cost of R3.5 million, Mhaga would not be drawn on budget implications should the field hospital be reopened.

“When need arises, the cost will be determined.

“Also, when we arrive at the need, clinicians together with health department, will advise,” said Mhaga.

He said Gauteng had built “more additional beds that will be there post Covid-19”.

“The Gauteng government felt that we must not build more field hospitals only to dismantle them later, but must increase bed capacity for the provincial health system.

“Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have increased bed capacity in hospitals,” added Mhaga.

There were 300 in Bronkhorstpruit Hospital, 300 at the Jubilee District Hospital, 300 at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, 500 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, and 171 at the Anglo-Ashanti hospitals, with the Tshwane District Hospital being a dedicated Covid-19 health facility.

Expressing grave concern over government’s capacity to prevent thousands of Covid-19 deaths as cases continue to rise, political parties in Gauteng have piled pressure on government – questioning its strategy and plan in dealing with the pandemic.

According to Democratic Alliance (DA) MPL in the province Jack Bloom, Gauteng’s fight against Covid-19 has been heavily impacted by the closure of Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg.

According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Gauteng accounted for 64% of the national total when it came to the majority of new cases – making the province the country’s Covid-19 hotspot.

brians@citizen.co.za