- Netcare hospitals are experiencing an increase in the number of patient admissions due to Covid-19.
- Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo are currently experiencing an unprecedented demand in hospitalisation, with some in Polokwane and Netcare Pholoso Hospital more than fully occupied.
- Hospitals in Gauteng are already experiencing an alarming rise and this is expected to worsen over the next two weeks.
Netcare hospitals in parts of the country are experiencing a huge increase in the number of patient admissions due to Covid-19.
Facilities in the Western Cape have also started to reflect an increase in admissions.
Netcare hospitals in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal are currently experiencing an unprecedented demand in hospitalisation, with some in Polokwane as well as Netcare Pholoso Hospital more than fully occupied.
Netcare group CEO Dr Richard Friedland said they have recorded "a heartening decrease in hospitalisations in the Eastern Cape for the fourth week running".
He added it was expected that through the month of January, the Eastern Cape would recover to the levels of Covid-19 last seen before the second wave.
Alarming rise
"In Gauteng, we are, as expected, already experiencing an alarming rise in admissions of Covid-19 patients across all our facilities and this is expected to rapidly worsen over the next two weeks," Friedland warned.
He acknowledged the newly imposed lockdown and restrictions on alcohol sales for having a dampening effect on violence and accident-related trauma cases, reducing the burden within Netcare's accident and emergency departments.
The company has commissioned a temporary Clinical Decision Unit that can accommodate up to 80 patients to ease the burden on emergency departments.
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"The fully air conditioned Clinical Decision Unit, which has received approval and support from the Limpopo health MEC [Dr Phophi Ramathuba], will be operational from 7 January and will provide oxygenation, ablution facilities and safe areas for donning and doffing of personal protective equipment [PPE] for nurses and doctors. An additional 60 staff members have been deployed to assist at the hospital," said Friedland.
Staff called back from leave
Netcare has called all staff back from leave and is expecting to have staff levels back to full complement by the end of this week.
The company has also recruited several doctors, social workers and clinical associates to assist hospitals and physicians.
“We have also advertised for students to assist part-time. We have received over 3 500 applications and are currently processing the applications so that the students can be deployed in various hospitals in non-clinical roles.
"Netcare has procured an additional 1 100 oxygenators. The machines, which can produce up to four litres of oxygen per minute each, brings the total fleet of oxygenators to 1 400 and will decrease the burden on the oxygen supply within our hospitals.
"We have also purchased an additional 100 high-flow nasal devices, which will arrive in mid-January. This brings the total number of high-flow nasal devices in the group to 626. In addition, we have a total of 1 105 ventilators in the group," said Friedland.
The company said it had purchased adequate supplies of the appropriate drugs and consumables as well as PPE to last it throughout the second wave.