Administrator pleased with readiness for Covid-19

Officials from The North West Department of Health, visited public hospitals throughout the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District on Sunday, 19 July, to inspect their readiness for Covid-19 patients.

Jeanette Hunter, the administrator from the Provincial Department of Health inspected the Potchefstroom Hospital, Witrand Psychiatric Hospital and Ventersdorp Hospital. Hunter inspected the bed capacity throughout the district and assessed how the department could assist district management.

She says beds have been made available for Covid-19 patients, quarantine, isolation and treatment.
Quarantine beds will be available for Covid-19 patients who may declare that their home circum-stances or facilities would not allow them to distance themselves from other people.

Isolation cases are people who have tested positive but are asymptomatic, meaning they may show no Covid-19-related symptoms.
The treatment beds are reserved for active Covid-19 cases.

She states that 60 beds have been identified at Witrand Psychiatric Hospital for Covid-19 patients. While the management presented an area that will accommodate an additional 60 beds to the administrator, minor renovations still need to be carried out. These beds will be in wards 4 and 12. Thirty beds will be for men and the rest for women.

The hospital has also put aside at least 17 beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe Covid-19 cases, if necessary.
Koketso Diloane, the spokesperson of Witrand, says they have selected their Ward 2 blocks G, E, and C as an isolation unit if the hospital’s in-patients test positive for the disease.

Witrand will have a total of 120 beds for Covid-19-related cases.

At Potchefstroom Hospital, 65 beds have been secured for patients amid the Covid-19 pandemic. There are also plans to build a facility where an additional 60 beds will be placed. According to Modiri Mompati, the Potchefstroom Hospital spokesperson, they have secured at least three wards for Covid-19 patients and patients with other health-related issues. Ward 3 (22 beds) will be strictly for treating Covid-19 cases. Ward 2 (22) will be for patients under investigation and awaiting their Covid-19 test results. Ward 1 (21) will be reserved for stable patients who may be awaiting admission to the hospital for different health reasons.

Hunter stated that additional staff, equipment, and resources would be brought into the hospitals. The time frames for the placement would be different for the various hospitals, she added.

Polaki Mokatsane, the deputy director-general for hospital services in the province says that post adverts have been circulated, strictly for the pandemic. “Different facilities have already started appointing,” he said.
Diloane confirms that human resources personnel are busy with recruitment processes and selection. “For example, Covid-19 one-year contracts for health professional positions have been filled. The new staff members reported for duty on Monday, 20 July,” he added.

At Potchefstroom Hospital, 59 nurses started at the beginning of July and they expect two more doctors to begin soon.

Hunter was generally pleased with the state of readiness at Witrand and Potchefstroom hospitals and the additional changes they plan to make. She is also pleased with the efforts of the hospitals’ management.

She advised South Africans to follow the prevention protocols strictly. These include always wearing a mask, regularly washing hands, staying at home, and not visiting back and forth.

“The virus doesn’t have legs. You either walk to it or allow someone to bring it to you,” she stated.
The hospitals have also appealed to the public to observe the lockdown regulations and necessary preventative measures, and stay at home to curb the number of confirmed cases.