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Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said that hospital staff have been working flat out under very stressful circumstances since March.
Snorkel masks protect Tygerberg Hospital medical staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. Image: Government of the Western Cape.
CAPE TOWN – As the Western Cape Health Department anticipates the peak of the second wave of COVID-19, health workers in the province will not be spared.
Seven hundred and sixty-one employees of the province’s health department are currently infected with the coronavirus and five of them have died in the last two weeks.
There are currently more than 34,000 active cases in the Western Cape, 61% more than in the first peak.
The department is seeing an increase in infections in healthcare workers.
At present, 761 of the active cases are health workers, 58 of whom are in hospital treatment.
On Tuesday, Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said that hospital staff had been working flat out under very stressful circumstances since March.
“We can have as many beds as possible, but beds need faces, faces need hearts, and hearts need hands. They were there during the first wave and they are exhausted. ”
The depletion and spread of the virus also means more licenses; one-third of the department’s staff have taken COVID-related leave since March.
The provincial head of health, Dr. Cloete, said they were looking to increase the number of staff.
“We are looking to employ 1,327 nurses and 44% of that is for office staff who have short-term contract extensions. There is an official request to the military to assist with additional staff members. “
Cloete adds that the department has gone through a recruiting drive by expanding its scholarship program and is also working on its volunteer rosters.
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