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In a statement released on Saturday, Sama said that focusing on strengthening health facilities and vaccinating health workers is a more sensible approach now.
JOHANNESBURG – The South African Medical Association (Sama) said on Saturday that reverting to a tougher lockdown would be counterproductive and would not achieve significant results in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
South Africa is back under a tight three lock level as a second wave hits the country.
The national coronavirus command council met this week.
In a statement released on Saturday, Sama said that focusing on strengthening health facilities and vaccinating health workers is a more sensible approach now.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, President of Sama, said: “The coronavirus is out there, and returning to lockdown level 5 will only damage our already fragile economy and put companies that are already struggling in greater danger. The current Level 3 lockdown is sufficient, but must be accompanied by a total improvement of medical care that requires a greater focus on providing resources to health facilities to increase their capacity, “he added.
Coetzee noted that since the start of the pandemic, Sama had asked for more and better PPE for health workers, a greater number of doctors and other health workers in public health facilities, the lifting of the moratorium on posts. of medical officers and more essential equipment to also be available.
“We have all heard the stories and read the personal accounts of doctors who are struggling to cope with a lack of PPE, PPE that is easily damaged, overwork due to a lack of other medical professionals, or equipment that does not work . It doesn’t work properly or it just isn’t available. You can have as many beds as you want in any facility, but without the medical expertise to treat a person lying in that bed, it means nothing. And those medical professionals also need equipment to work with and protect themselves against infections. We believe these steps are more necessary than returning to the Level 5 lockdown, ”Coetzee said.
Coetzee confirmed that Sama was being contacted daily by doctors who said they were exhausted from overwork, but who also said authorities weren’t taking his concerns seriously enough.
“It is a point that we will continue to make until it is taken more seriously than it is today. At some point, the pool of doctors working now will shrink due to burnout; you can have as many locks as you want, but if you don’t address this critical core problem, sooner or later you will catch up. “
Furthermore, Coetzee said that a vital step in dealing with the pandemic was ensuring that all healthcare workers in the country were vaccinated as soon as possible. He said that these healthcare workers were on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, risking their lives and those of their families every day simply by entering health centers to treat patients.
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