Hospitals hit by trauma cases from car accidents under level 3
Since the start of lockdown level three and the lifting of the alcohol ban, there were 18 alcohol-related deaths in Gauteng.
An increase in traffic accidents and alcohol-related violence under level 3 of the lockdown has fuelled concerns that there might not be enough hospital beds available should Covid-19 cases peak.
According to the Department of Health, there are 1 970 hospital beds available in both private and public health care facilities in Tshwane.
A local paramedic service, however, believes the availability of alcohol alone wasn’t to blame for the recent spike in traffic accidents, but that an increase in road traffic also contributed.
“The rate of accidents has gone up, but in my opinion it has been due to the increase in number of cars on the road, not really alcohol,” Volunteer Emergency Medical Response Unit (Vermu) spokesperson Casper Visser told Rekord.
Over the weekend, Visser said Vermu attended to five domestic violence cases, three of which involved alcohol.
Eight traffic accidents happened over the weekend in Pretoria.
However, the provincial government’s concerns centred mostly on the alcohol issue.
Since the start of lockdown level three and the lifting of the alcohol ban, there were 18 alcohol-related deaths in Gauteng.
This was according to community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko, who spoke at a Gauteng provincial command council media briefing on Covid-19 on Friday.
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She said pedestrians, motorists and motorbike riders were among the fatalities.
Mazibuko urged the public not to drink and drink as she reiterated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for people to consume alcohol at their homes only.
“It’s not a time to get together, one must drink their alcohol on their own.”
Mazibuko said 124 assault cases were reported on Monday and the stats since went up.
On assaults with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, 76 cases were reported, she said.
Mazibuko said these 76 cases filled up hospitals’ trauma wards.
“This takes up beds that have been earmarked for Covid-19 cases.”
Several cases of sexual assault and rape were also reported since the start of the level 3 lockdown.
READ MORE: Government denies reinstating alcohol ban
Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku told the media on Friday the department was worried about the surge in trauma cases since the sale of alcohol was allowed again possibly overwhelming state hospitals.
“There is nothing positive emanating from the sale of alcohol. We have since had a surge of numbers in our casualty units, particularly our trauma units from Monday,” he said.
Masuku said with more alcohol-related trauma cases that health facilities needed to respond to and more Covid-19 cases admitted, there might be a competition for hospital beds in the province.
He said there was a much-needed conversation on healthy consumption of alcohol within the South African society.
Masuku said this needed to be addressed as the outcomes of alcohol abuse negatively affected people’s lives.
This comes as the province’s health department saw a hike in the number of Covid-19 hospitalised cases over the past two weeks.
Gauteng’s Covid-19 peak was coming warned premier David Makhura as hospitalisation numbers doubled last week.
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As the economy re-opened, the central business districts of both Johannesburg and Tshwane saw an increase in Covid-19 infections in the last two weeks.
“The numbers have doubled,” said Makhura.
“All indications are that the peak is coming, but we are prepared and we will be holding hands in fighting this pandemic. We are in this together.”
Hospital admissions in the province doubled in the past two weeks, with 42 patients admitted to public, and 214 patients admitted to private hospitals. Five people were receiving ventilator assistance, he said.
Makhura said there were active cases in the Tshwane CBD, up to Pretoria West and Atteridgeville.
The north-western areas of Soshanguve and Mabopane, which were hotspot areas last week, showed fewer active recent cases, “thanks to quick government intervention”, he said.
Meanwhile, Centurion remained a hotspot area with 63 active cases on Friday.
On Saturday, Tshwane had 709 confirmed coronavirus cases with 354 recoveries and nine deaths.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province stood at 5 626, with 2 428 recoveries and 47 deaths.
Out of a total of 15 897 contacts traced (these are individuals who were in contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19), 11 023 people have completed the 14-day monitoring period with no symptoms reported and were therefore de-isolated.
A total number of 419 people were hospitalised in the public and private facilities throughout the province.
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