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President Cyril Ramaphosa declared 2020 the year of healthcare workers and thanked those who came forward and cared for the sick, putting themselves in danger.
Image: Twitter / @ SAPoliceService.
JOHANNESBURG – South Africa has lost more than 330 police officers, more than 430 healthcare workers and a staggering 1,600 educators to COVID-19 in the past year, raising concerns about the resulting vacancies in public service.
As the second wave of COVID infections intensifies, the President and Minister of Health attended New Year’s Eve candle lighting ceremonies to remember the thousands of South Africans who lost their lives as a result of the virus and to honor those health workers in particular.
President Cyril Ramaphosa declared 2020 the year of healthcare workers and thanked those who came forward and cared for the sick, putting themselves in danger.
“2020 has been a hellish year,” he said.
And it seems that Cyril Ramaphosa also came close to despair at times during 2020: “There were times when my own hope was being lost.”
What helped him get through those moments was seeing the incredible dedication of so many doctors, nurses, and other healthcare personnel.
The president acknowledged that the government does not always reach the party as efficiently as it should.
“Sometimes we fail, and we humbly apologize for that.”
Citing delays in delivering personal protective equipment and a lack of proper recognition of those on the front lines, Ramaphosa vowed to do better for the small army of life-saving personnel in South Africa.
The nation marked the New Year under level three lockdown restrictions with a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and a ban on the sale of alcohol.
It was hoped that the alcohol ban would ease the trauma burden on the nation’s hospitals, allowing workers to focus on managing the pandemic.
And it seems to have worked.
Africa’s largest hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath, posted a picture on his Facebook page Friday morning of an abandoned trauma unit.
This is the first time in the hospital’s history that it has not had a single case of trauma on New Year’s Eve.
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