Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area at Steve Biko Academic hospital. Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
WITH Mzansi facing the second wave of Covid-19, many hospitals in Gauteng are overwhelmed.
And it appears one of these hospitals is Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Tshwane.
THIS AFTER SOBERING PICTURES OF THE HOSPITAL CIRCULATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
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In the pictures, patients could be seen being treated in tents and in the open as a result of an increase in the numbers of Covid-19 patients.
This led to a visit by Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi yesterday.
Their visit was slammed on social media by the organisation Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union, which said government officials were clueless.
“Nothing like the executive authority coming to a hospital as if they’re visiting a zoo. Nothing on hand, no plan at all. Lobaba wama shirt akana plan nje,” read their statement.
“Tell us your human resource, PPE and material resources plan for this hospital imminently for the next seven days at an acute phase.
“Tell us how you’re going to reduce the current load at the hospital. Adding more tents doesn’t solve the capacity problem at the institution. Fewer tents are not Covid-19 management units.”
On the other hand, Makhura said over the past seven days infection rates and admissions in hospitals had doubled.
He said the number of deaths had increased. They’d already seen an increase in the second wave before Christmas.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
“With regards to the second wave, Tshwane has the highest daily infections. It’s a hot spot,” he said.
Makhura said Steve Biko Academic Hospital is a cluster hospital linked to several others. Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa is also a cluster. He said people preferred Steve Biko.
Makhura admitted that the number of admissions had increased.
“We’re where we were in the peak in July last year. Gauteng had 6 500 admissions and we have over 6 200,” he said.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
Yesterday along, public hospitals had about 700 admissions and private hospitals almost 2 000!
“The second wave is showing indication of doubling the number. Our response is to have more beds,” said Makhura.
Frontline healthcare workers and cop shops were under pressure due to Covid-19.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
“We’ll not support the lifting of the alcohol ban and will not call for closure of the economy. We don’t support the idea of going back to level 5,” he said.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
He called on people to sanitise, practise social distancing and obey rules. On PPEs, Mokgethi said they were managing it.
Steve Biko CEO Mathabo Mathebula said: “Everyone who comes to the hospital is screened and separated once there’s confirmation.”
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 11: Health care workers and patients in the temporary outside area Steve Biko Academic hospital created to screen and treat suspected Covid-19 cases. Gauteng Premier David Makhura visits Steve Biko Academic Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Gauteng Department of Health, the hospital has noted a sharp increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 and this has put more pressure on the facility. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
