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By Theolin Tembo 
December 23, 2020
Cape Town: The Western Cape Health Department is enlisting the help of unemployed nurses as the province experiences an increase in the number of healthcare workers affected by Covid-19.
The provincial health department on Wednesday issued an urgent call for unemployed nurses to help request short-term contract appointments to help.
Interested nurses are encouraged to apply on the coronavirus website: coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za.
As of 1 p.m. on December 23, the Western Cape has 35,450 active Covid-19 infections.
Prime Minister Alan Winde said on Tuesday that in the coming weeks they expected to see the healthcare system under enormous pressure at a time when more beds would be needed than ever before, “as the second wave of the virus will be significantly larger than the First”.
The provincial head of Health, Dr. Keith Cloete, also revealed that one of his biggest challenges is the increase in the rate of Covid-19 infection among health workers and the impact this has on isolation and quarantine. of staff members.
He said there are currently 761 healthcare workers actively infected with Covid-19, and that in the last two weeks alone, five healthcare workers have died as a result of the virus.
The province also fights against:
- The availability of additional staff for contract and agency work is also a major challenge.
- The number of people willing to volunteer their services has also dropped significantly.
Cloete said the province has enough PPE in all health facilities and central storage, and that additional orders have been placed in recent weeks. He also added that the system was being expanded to support front-line staff in terms of mental well-being.
Winde said the province was working hard to train the health system to get past the second peak.
“In the Western Cape, work is underway to increase both our bed capacity and the number of healthcare workers operating in our hospitals, to protect the system and our staff from severe stress.
“Our nurses, our doctors and our doctors have already been working flat out, under very stressful circumstances, since March.
“The fact that our second wave takes place during the holiday season, normally the most social time of the year, is a major concern,” Winde said.
“It is now more important than ever for Western Cape residents to step up to help us contain the spread of the virus. We need to do this to protect our hospital capacity because if we continue as is, there is no guarantee.” from a hospital bed in the public or private sector, for yourself or a loved one, if required.
“And we must do it for our healthcare workers, because they are extremely tired, extremely tense and need our help to get through the next few weeks.”
Winde urged everyone to play their part if we are to overcome the top of the second wave.
“To show your respect for our healthcare workers and to ensure our hospitals are not overwhelmed, please follow this simple advice: keep it small and keep it outdoors,” she implored.
Cape argus
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