Only casualty operational at Humansdorp Hospital
Only the casualty unit at the Humansdorp Hospital is operational after 35 workers tested positive for Covid-19.
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the cases included cleaners.
“We are looking into the situation.
“A risk analysis and deep cleaning have been done, and a decontamination process is under way.
“We will continue to assess the situation.
“Our priority is ensuring that those who have been affected by the virus receive support, but we need to balance that with getting the hospital back to normal.”
Kupelo said the department was in meetings with the Kouga municipality to resume full services once all protocols had been followed.
National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) provincial secretary Miki Jaceni said the union had initially called for staff to be supplied with sufficient Personal Protective Equipment.
He said their attempts to meet hospital management had failed.
“Unfortunately they never got that and this is the result.
“We have been talking to our shop steward because whenever we have tried to set up a meeting with the hospital’s management, they are nowhere to be found.”
Yesterday, Jaceni said he had not managed to consult with the hospital’s management.
“We have been trying to call management to reason with them and discuss what plans are in place to ensure that the rest of the staff do not get infected. Unfortunately we are not getting any co-operation,” Jaceni said.
However health spokesperson Siyanda Manana said yesterday Nehawu was represented in a disaster management meeting held on Saturday.
Manana said the hospital was set to reopen tomorrow.
“The department is sourcing out agency nursing staff in the meantime and going to appoint more COVID nurses.”
Patients [are being] diverted to nearby BJ Vorster hospital [in Kareedouw].