Many hospitals full as third Covid wave hits
“We note that there are many cases of ordinary winter illnesses to deal with in addition to Covid-19 cases. That is something we did not see during last winter’s lockdown.”
The third Covid-19 wave hit Pretoria hospitals hard as many large hospitals have already reached full capacity.
Francois Louw, director of National Hospital Network (NHN), confirmed a sharp rise in Covid-related cases treated in Pretoria hospitals.
“I can confirm hospitals have difficulty accommodating referrals. We note that there are many cases of ordinary winter illnesses to deal with in addition to Covid-19 cases. That is something we did not see during last winter’s lockdown,” Louw said.
“I am aware that a couple of large hospitals are on ‘divert status’ at the moment, which means they have reached full capacity, for example, Zuid-Afrikaans hospital.”
Dr Gerrit de Villiers, chief clinical officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa, said “the current third wave has strongly impacted the capacity of our facilities within the Free State, Northern Cape and Gauteng provinces”.
“Our facilities in other regions are experiencing a smaller increase in admissions.
“We are currently experiencing strong pressure on our resources, but measures are in place to further increase our capacity should this be required.”
De Villiers said Mediclinic Muelmed is currently experiencing high volumes of patients but is still able to receive and accommodate patients.
He said every effort is being made to ensure that the staff and hospital can deliver the best and most appropriate care to all patients.
“All measures to reduce risk within our hospitals remain in place including screening of staff, visitors and services providers through access control,” he said.
“It is important to note that while ICU and high-care facilities are under tremendous pressure in some regions, not all Covid-19 patients require ICU care or mechanical ventilation.
“Those are treated successfully with supplemental oxygen and other supportive treatment modalities and Mediclinic has capacity within these medical wards, to assist patients in this manner,” De Villiers said.
He said Mediclinic is in constant contact with the hospitals to identify their specific needs in terms of resources.
READ MORE: ‘Adhere to level 2’ as Tshwane hits 4k mark in Covid-19 cases
“In previous waves, Mediclinic provided additional training to upskill nursing staff from other units to assist in areas such as ICU and High Care. This situation remains fluid and is evaluated frequently.
“It has been proven that the vaccine provides the body with additional protection against becoming severely ill from the virus, as well as reducing the risk of death.”
Jacques du Plessis, managing director of Netcare’s Hospital division, said they noted a steady uptick in Covid-19 cases in Netcare hospitals. The situation, however, “remains fluid and changes daily”.
Du Plessis said after 18 months of equipping hospitals and working with the daily fluctuations, Netcare hospitals are fully equipped for all eventualities.
“That includes the safe management and continuation of other than Covid emergencies and elective procedures. We take hands with our colleagues in the private sector and the Department of Health to accommodate those in need of care.”
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
