Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says bed capacity in the
country’s hospitals is expected to be breached in the next four weeks as the
country battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Mkhize addressed Parliament on Wednesday. He said although
the current projections had shown that fewer Covid-19 patients would need
hospitalisation, the country’s bed capacity for those in need would be
insufficient as the country heads towards its peak.
As of Tuesday, the country had recorded over 215 000 cases
and 3 502 deaths. Recoveries were recorded at 102 299.
The hardest hits provinces in case numbers such as Gauteng
and the Eastern Cape may be unable to meet the demand of ICU or non-ICU cases.
“Currently planned hospital beds in the Eastern Cape and
Gauteng are projected to be insufficient for combined non-ICU bed demand and
the overflow from ICU once ICU capacity has been breached. Bed capacity,
including all currently committed public and private sector beds, is expected
to be breached in the next four weeks.
“The Department of Health has developed and is implementing
the Surge Strategy in anticipation of the peak. This will ensure that the
department increases capacity for Covid-19,” Mkhize said.
He said the Department of Health has been able to
re-purpose 27 467 beds increasing bed capacity to 40 309.
The minister said there had been various field hospitals
that were built across the country which could help add additional bed
capacity.
“The department has built several field hospitals, which
will primarily be used for admission of mild cases. The Western Cape has
completed constructing three field hospitals which are functional. Gauteng
(Nasrec), KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) and Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth,
VW) each have one field hospital which are also operational,” he said.
On the treatment of Covid-19 patients, Mkhize said the
Health Department was working with the Department of Trade and Industry to
manufacture air pressure devices, while an audit was being conducted with the
help of National Treasury on the country’s oxygen capacity.
“The Department of Health is working with the Department of
Trade and Industry and Competition to manufacture Continuous Positive Air
Pressure devices called CPAP, for short. Through this arrangement, the
Department of Trade, industry and Competition has mandated the SA Radio
Astronomy Observatory to manage the national effort required for the local
design, development, production and procurement of these respiratory
ventilators to support the government’s response. These are being procured in
top of the 1 000 ventilators generously donated by the US government,” he said.
“The department is working with the National Treasury and
partners to conduct an audit of the oxygen reticulation infrastructure in all
our hospitals. These audits are being conducted with a priority focus on the
Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng."
"The outcome of these audits will give us a sense of
the amount of work that needs to be done to address the gaps that undermine the
expanded supply of oxygen to patients.” IOL
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