R405m goes on care equipment

The Solidarity Fund is set to purchase critical medical equipment worth R405 million, including hospital beds, ventilators and high-flow oxygen devices, for Gauteng, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Solidarity Fund interim CEO Nomkhita Nqweni said the fund would purchase medical equipment for Gauteng hospitals, including the Nasrec field hospital, beds and ventilators for the Western Cape, and ward capacity and oxygen devices in Eastern Cape.

She said the fund had approved the purchase for the public sector and would be working with the department of health and provincial officials.

“As the Covid-19 pandemic intensifies across South Africa and the country braces for an expected surge in hospital admissions, the Solidarity Fund has responded by approving an additional R405 million towards the purchase of critical healthcare equipment for the public hospital system in the hotspots of Gauteng, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.”

Nqweni explained that the national health response to Covid-19 was being coordinated according to demand for health services, based on modelling of the Covid-19 impact in each province.

“The strategy involves the activation of additional hospital beds at various acuity levels, as well as the provision of field hospital capacity, through both reallocation and procurement of resources.”

Current demand was for 100 00 general ward beds and more than 26 000 critical care beds at the peak of Covid-19 infections.

In Gauteng, the Solidarity Fund approved R209 million for critical medical equipment.

“Given the projected peak of the pandemic and the high population density in the province, the funds will be used to purchase high-care equipment in existing hospitals and to equip the field hospital at Nasrec,” Nqweni said.

For the Western Cape, R102 million has been approved for beds and intensive care unit (ICU) ventilators.

In the Eastern Cape, R76 million will increase insufficient ward and ICU capacity, and address the urgent need for oxygen devices.

“The funds will be used to purchase essential equipment, such as high-flow oxygen devices which are more cost-effective than invasive ventilators. They have been used successfully in the province so far,” Nqweni said.

In addition to this, R250 million will go towards the local production of 20 000 non-invasive ventilators. “The locally-manufactured ventilators are expected to be delivered at the end of August in line with the predicted infection peak.”

Nqweni added that since its establishment, more than R2 billion from the Solidarity Fund had funded initiatives to prevent and support those affected by the pandemic. – News24 Wire