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PORT ELIZABETH – The government says reckless behavior has led to hospital beds being fully occupied in Nelson Mandela Bay.
A resurgence of COVID-19 infections in the subway has led to an increase in deaths.
The ripple effect of the COVID-19 resurgence in the Bay can be seen in the growing number of employees testing positive or showing signs of fatigue.
The oxygen shortage only adds to the endless problems of public hospitals.
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Dr. Mthandeki Xamlashe, Acting Executive Director of Livingston Hospital, said that 80 percent of the people who go to ventilation and ICU “we lose them. We lose half of the people who come to our wards.”
Dr. David Veitch from Uitenhage Provincial Hospital recalled how a woman died in a wheelchair while sitting in a crowd in the respiratory area.
“There was a 13-year-old boy lying on the bed next to her and another lady lying on the bed next to her, also watching it happen,” she said.
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Dr. Emma Gardiner of Livingstone Hospital said that it is extremely difficult for staff to stay in PPE and also stay motivated.
“There is a very high burden of dying and suffering patients and it is very difficult for some of our junior staff to carry that burden. So we really need fresh legs.”
Dr. Gardiner continued, “In total, if you count it all together, we only have 26 spaces on this floor, so sometimes we have to make tough decisions. On our O&E side, we have been able to split the oxygen so we can provide more oxygen. for admitted patients. “
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Although the metro has put in place measures to mitigate the impact of the second wave of COVID-19, these are proving useless against the behavior of residents.
Nelson Mandela Bay District Manager Darlene De Vos said: “COVID is real, COVID is dangerous, COVID can kill. Daily for the past week, we had more than 10 deaths per day. The day before yesterday and this is just hospital deaths, 20 people died in our hospitals throughout the metro. “
* ENCA Aviwe Mtila reports.
