More than 60 doctors and nurses at Mpilo Central Hospital are in isolation after testing positive to Covid-19, a development that has crippled health care service delivery at the hospital.
The bulk of the 63 health care workers that have tested
positive at the hospital are nurses. Since the outbreak of the pandemic last
year in March, a total of 390 health care workers from Mpilo have tested
positive to the deadly virus.
The latest infections were recorded over the past two
weeks, a trend which Mpilo acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo
Ngwenya said is worrying.
Over the same two weeks Bulawayo recorded 2 190 new
Covid-19 cases, the highest being on July 14 when 358 cases and a record 20
deaths were reported in a single day.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care show
that by Saturday, a total of 108 840 people had received their first Covid-19
vaccine while 62 323 had received their second jab in Bulawayo.
Prof Ngwenya said health care workers continue using
personal protective equipment whenever at work but community transmissions were
putting them at risk of contracting and succumbing to Covid-19.
“Since the beginning of this month 63 of our workers have
tested positive and had to isolate at home to protect members of the public who
seek services from our institution. Unfortunately, despite measures by the
Government to ensure workers have adequate PPE, community transmissions are so
high hence our workers are at risk as they use public transport and mingle with
asymptomatic people who continue spreading the virus,” said Prof Ngwenya.
He said the high number of health care workers in isolation
was affecting service delivery at the hospital which is now forced to operate
with skeletal staff.
“We are living in difficult times and if this trend
continues, we may see most of our workers testing positive because communities
continue defying simple and life saving regulations. I do not know how many
times we should remind people to stay at home, mask up and stop gathering.
Sadly, our past days have been marked by funerals and soon we will be unable to
cater for members of the public if they continue putting our lives at risk.”
Prof Ngwenya added that what is worryng now is that many
people were now spreading and succumbing to Covid-19 without showing any
symptoms.
“Our services are crippled at a time when we have a lot of
people coming to Mpilo with suspected Covid-19 complications. If people
continue defying measures, we will be unable to serve them and lives will be
lost simply because they do not listen. May everyone remember that these are
difficult times, we all have to mask up, wash hands and avoid travelling.
Deaths and new cases are on the increase in Bulawayo,” he said.
Bulawayo City Council has warned that it might be forced to
ban mourners from attending burials at cemeteries as funerals are becoming
Covid-19 super spreaders. The Government announced that not more than 30 people
must attend funerals but it has been noted that most people are not adhering to
this regulation.
Health experts last week identified funeral gatherings as
Covid-19 superspreaders as residents continue defying guidelines, a situation
which has resulted in an upsurge of deaths and new cases in Bulawayo.
Under the enhanced level 4 lockdown, Government has not just limited funeral gatherings to 30 people but has also banned overnight vigils. Chronicle
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