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By IOL Reporter 
2h ago
Durban: South Africa’s giant private hospital group Netcare is calling on all front-line workers to stand down and plans to enforce strict international guidelines on the medical services patients will receive in the coming weeks as the second wave of South Africa’s Covid-19 is spreading across the country.
In a statement Monday, Netcare CEO Dr. Richard Friedland said that the new increase in Covid-19 infections had forced Netcare to review and evaluate everything it is doing to combat the impact of the virus.
The statement comes as South Africa surpassed the one million mark for Covid-19 infections on Sunday night and the total number of people who died reached 26,735.
South Africa’s recovery rate stands at 84.1%.
Friedland said the recent surge in cases, particularly in the Eastern Cape (EC), Limpopo, Western Cape (WC) and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has generated significant and unprecedented demand on Netcare’s healthcare facilities.
“We expect this demand to continue in Limpopo and the Western Cape for at least the next two weeks, but unfortunately increase in KZN during the same period. Fortunately, we have seen a reduction in cases in the Eastern Cape. However, we remain extremely concerned about Gauteng, which is already starting to rise, and we expect a dramatic increase in cases as tourists return to the province in early January, “he noted.
According to Dr. Friedland, in the EC, Limpopo, WC and KZN provinces, the number of patients admitted to hospital far exceeds that experienced in the first wave of the pandemic.
He said Netcare has had to substantially increase its oxygen capacity at all hospitals and has urgently removed all front-line personnel from license.
The company is deploying more doctors, nurses, paramedics and teams of healthcare workers in areas of need.
“We have also made sure we have adequate supplies of the right medications and consumables, as well as personal protective equipment to last us through this second wave. We have implemented strict infection prevention and control policies and principles. We demand strict compliance with these standard operating procedures, which are at all times aligned with the guidelines and protocols issued by the World Health Organization. [WHO] and the National Department of Health [NDoH]. “
“While we will always strive to provide care for patients who come to our facilities, the increased demand will require us to make decisions regarding access to certain treatment modalities. All of these decisions will be based on recognized international triage guidelines. [allocation of treatment based on priority] and transition of care, ”said Dr. Friedland.
He noted that clinical, nursing and management teams will provide the best available care for all patients, but it is possible that, in circumstances where demand exceeds or overwhelms capacity, they may not be able to provide all of the treatment options that would be available. under normal and non-normal conditions. pandemic, circumstances.
“In practice, this may mean that levels of care like ICU and High Care, ventilators, or certain oxygen delivery modalities may not be available to all patients. Whenever possible, we will seek to transfer patients, once stabilized, to one of our other hospitals, if they have capacity. Our physicians will make all of these decisions based on the availability of resources and their best clinical judgment. We fully support them in this difficult task and in the complex decision-making process.
“During these uncertain and difficult times, we appreciate the patience and understanding of the public, and I want to assure them that we are working as hard as humanly possible on the front lines to provide the best and safest possible care to our patients during this challenging time. ”Dr. Friedland said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has met in recent days with the National Coronavirus Command Council amid the growing number of Covid-19 infections.
Some doctors are calling for another tough lockdown to slow the spread of the second wave, while businesses and others are pleading with people to be responsible and maintain social distancing to avoid a crushing economy.
MESS
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