Prison builds own isolation facility
Given the Garden Route’s recently announced Covid-19 hotspot status, it is comforting news that the Mossel Bay Youth Centre, a correctional facility housing some 420 inmates, now has its own isolation facility.
The centre, built by the inmates themselves, was officially opened on Wednesday, 22 July. Similar facilities were opened at correctional facilities in Oudtshoorn and George.
Speaking at the event, Head of the Centre, Zweli Sofuthe said that to date, there had been no cases of Covid-19 reported at the centre. The centre is currently keeping all new inmates in compulsory quarantine of 14 days before admission, to ensure that the virus does not enter the facility.
Department of Corrections
Health Care Manager for the management area, Amos Kibido commented that all the nine centres in the management area had readied themselves for dealing with Covid-19 efficiently.
Currently the youth centre's Covid-19 facility has 18 isolation beds. Medical staff have been assigned and will only serve in the isolation facility, without coming into contact with the rest of the inmates. Additional nursing staff have been contracted to also specifically deal with the screening procedures. According to a medical staffer, Anthony le Roux, the centre’s clinical nursing practitioner, the youth commenced training to deal with Covid-19 in March already.
Peak
Area Commissioner, Ndileka Booi, said that the facility took 51 days to complete. Due to the lockdown regulations, processes were delayed said Booi, since service providers could not deliver materials.
Proudly stating that the facility was completed using their own labour, Booi said that not only did the centre save substantially, but fulfilled the mandate of occupying the inmates constructively.
Alderman Dirk Kotzé, who attended the opening said that the rapid escalation in positive Covid-19 cases underscored the need for an isolation facility. Mossel Bay, he confirmed, per capita has the highest increase in positive Covid-19 cases in the district.
Dr Jaco Bothma from the Mossel Bay Provincial Hospital, representing the Department of Health, emphasised that the number of Covid-19 cases for Mossel Bay leaves much to be desired. He alluded to the fact that Mossel Bay, if not at the peak, may be nearing it.
He commended the DCS for its efforts to alleviate the pressure on the health system.
The Regional Commissioner, quoting from the Freedom Charter, said that with July being Mandela Month, it was heart warming that the isolation facility would bring quality health care even closer to offenders during the threat of Covid-19.