Hall turned into Covid treatment facility
SWAKOPMUND - A community- based care facility set up at the Tamariskia Community Hall at Swakopmund will soon be opened to people in need of Covid-19 medical support while waiting for hospital availability.
Enabled by the region’s Risk Management Committee through community donations, the facility is a transition centre for Covid-19 patients who are unable to cope at home and may need more medical supervision from health officials. In an interview with the media over the weekend, Swakopmund Regional Councillor and chairperson of the Erongo Management Committee, Ciske Howard-Smith, said the facility aims to relieve the pressure on both private and public healthcare systems, with patients currently filling up all the available hospital beds to capacity.
“We made a call to the Swakopmund community, which was more than willing to donate to the facility in kind as well as with financial support from locals and Germany,” the councillor added.
The 15-bed facility has oxygen concentrators of five and 10 litres, respectively, which will assist patients while at the facility.
However, by the time a patient will require more than that, they will be transitioned to a hospital.
“We want to create a safe space for patients who are unable to cope at home, as well as those who are over the worst in hospital and may still need some support. So, it can also be used as a step-down facility,” she explained.
The N$750 000 facility consists of three high-care beds for acute patients in need of close monitoring while a hospital bed is opening up, including 13 normal beds, all with oxygen generators next to them.
There is also Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (C-PAP) machines and nebulisers in case there is a need for them.
The 24-hour facility will not be administering drugs, and will be working closely with a doctor or patients’ personal doctors, who will be the ones to make such decisions when need be.
The councillor has also called on all retired medical personnel to come and assist by volunteering at the facility.
It will commence operations as soon as assessments and approvals are done by the Ministry of Health and Social Services.