Hospitals bracing for Covid-19 peak
Alida de Beer
As the number of Covid-19 cases in the Garden Route increases, George Hospital is expanding its capacity to admit more patients who need hospitalisation.
Western Cape Health district spokesperson Nadia Ferreira said the multi-disciplinary team of the hospital, together with management, has been planning for several months for the peak of the pandemic.
"They have all the necessary measures in place. They evaluate and adapt their plans on a continuous basis as more information becomes available and the number of patients increases."
An additional third ward is being opened to handle Covid-19 cases. The current two, one of which is for intensive care, can accommodate 41 patients.
Ferreira said the district hospitals are also ready for an increase in Covid-19 patients, but those patients who need intensive care are referred to George Hospital from across the whole of the Garden Route and Central Karoo districts. "This is because George Hospital has specialist clinical teams and equipment to care for patients who need intensive care."
The hospital has two separate intensive care units and patients who are treated for conditions other than Covid-19 are also being accommodated.
Asked about the number of healthcare workers being infected by the coronavirus and how this affects the availability of staff, she said the situation continually changes. "It is realistically being expected that more staff will test positive as the pandemic spreads through the community."
Mediclinic George manager Kassie Karstens said counselling sessions are continually being offered to healthcare staff. "Emotionally this is an extremely exhausting and stressful situation for our staff."
He said allegations are doing the rounds that the hospital is closing and that it is full and cannot cope. "This is far from the truth. I appeal to the public to not heed fake news and not to spread it."
Enough beds
In June, Garden Route District health director Zee Briggles said the district's state hospitals should be able to provide enough beds during the peak, which is expected by the end of July and beginning of August. The total bed capacity in the eight state hospitals in the region is 756. A total of
463 beds can be made available to admit Covid-19 patients as the need arises.
The worst case scenario for coronavirus infections estimates a need for 459 beds during the peak.
The optimistic model predicts a demand for 235 beds.
At George Hospital, 89 beds would be available for Covid-19 patients, 71 short of the 160 beds required should the pessimistic forecast become a reality. This shortfall would be provided for by 75 beds that could be made available at Harry Comay TB Hospital. These would consist of 40 existing beds, 20 additional beds, and a "pod" or field hospital with 15 beds.
45 deaths, over 2 000 cases
The Garden Route has recorded 2 166 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday 8 July, of whom 874 have recovered. A total of 45 people have died since the start of the outbreak. A total of 79 Covid-19 patients were in hospital (both private and public) in the district, of whom 13 were in ICU.
In the Western Cape, the total number of confirmed cases as of 8 July was 72 808, of whom 53 881 have recovered. The province recorded 2 177 deaths. Countrywide 205 721 cases were confirmed with 3 310 deaths recorded.