West hospital staff motivated in fight against virus
“Staff have come up with innovative ways of supporting and motivating each other.”
*Please note that the photo which was used as an illustration has been changed.
Pretoria West hospital CEO Dr Mpho Mosoane believes the hospital has planned adequately for the current surge in Covid-19 cases.
The hospital first felt the surge of the second wave in the third week of December 2020 when the Covid-19 positivity rate shot to 30% from 5% and 10% in the first the weeks of December respectively.
“Admission rate for both Covid-19 positive patients and patients under investigation (PUI) also increased,” Mosoane said.
The hospital said the contingency plans it had put in place in anticipation of the second wave has ensured that patients have been receiving the best care possible.
“Admission beds for both those Covid-19 positive and PUI were adequate. Medication and oxygen supply were also not a challenge. Tents are used for screening, triage, testing and initial management of ambulatory patients with respiratory symptoms.”
The hospital CEO is also aware of the mental and physical strain that healthcare workers have had to deal with.
Mosoane said it has not been easy for healthcare workers across the public sector as they lead the fight against the virus, especially with the increased workload.
“This was always going to be tough on them because there was an anticipated risk of overwork and burnout that could not be entirely eliminated,” Mosoane said.
“As some elective procedures were temporarily suspended, some of the staff were redeployed to assist in overburdened units and this includes all staff.
“The Gauteng department of health allocated special Covid-19 contract posts and the hospital appointed extra doctors, nurses, cleaners, food service aids and clerks,” he said.
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The hospital has also prioritised maintaining a good morale among its hard working staff.
Weekly “staff appreciation sessions” are held to further motivate all those working at the hospital, from doctors and nurses to cleaning staff.
“Pretoria West hospital staff have come up with innovative ways of supporting and motivating each other and for that I am extremely proud of them. These initiatives have kept us all committed.
“The Patient Satisfaction survey held in August 2020 provides evidence that there is a high level of satisfaction on the quality of healthcare services we are providing to our clients.”
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