Themba Hospital is rocked by Covid-19 outbreak

KABOKWENI - The Covid-19 coronavirus has found its way to Themba Hospital. A total of 14 new positive cases has been reported, leaving the hospital’s staff fuming and in fear.

Lowvelder has reliably learned that it all began when one of the staff members working in the theatre tested positive on Saturday after displaying symptoms of the virus.

Her colleagues were screened and tested and their results came back positive as well.

“Our concern is how many other staff members and patients were the affected members in contact with? We do not agree with the hospital’s decision to partly close the theatre ward alone. All nurses and doctors need to be tested and the hospital closed,” said a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The department’s spokesperson, Dumisani Malamule, confirmed that 14 staff members tested positive.

“They have already been quarantined and decontamination of affected units is in progress. The hospital will, however, continue to operate under strict supervision. The theatre has been temporarily closed and only emergency operations will be conducted,” he said.

Malamule said all staff members and patients who were in contact with the infected employees at the hospital are being traced.

“The tracing team is also busy with finding patients who were in direct contact with the staff and patients,” he continued.

The provincial secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union, Ben Sekwane, made an appeal to the department to test all employees from all affected healthcare facilities in the province.

“We want all staff tested and all wards fumigated because results continue to come back positive,” he said.

The MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini, said the department was ready to deal with the pandemic. “With the winter season we expect the number of infections to rise, hence we are also ready to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

Manzini called on all to continue wearing masks and maintain social distancing.

‘The theatre has been temporarily closed and only emergency operations will be conducted’