North West Premier Tebogo Job Mokgoro has acknowledged that the province is experiencing strain, as the province battles with the COVID-19 third wave.
Providing an update on the provincial government’s response to the recently increasing number of infections, Mokgoro said the number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths are on the rise.
“As hospital admissions increase, the ability of the Department of Health to expand the vaccination programme decreases as staff must be re-assigned to the clinical units to attend to the sick persons,” he told the media on Thursday.
The province has the seventh-highest number of cumulative cases after Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga.
According to the Premier, North West has also recorded a steady surge in daily new cases from 274 reported on 31 May 2021 to 1 149 on 21 June 2021.
Meanwhile, the moving seven-day average has also peaked over the last weeks, positioning the province in the resurgence phase.
Hospital beds
Mokgoro also raised concerns about hospital admissions that have also increased in the general wards, high care and intensive care unit (ICU), with the Tshepong Hospital treating the majority of COVID-19 ill patients followed by Westvaal and Royal Bafokeng Platinum hospitals.
The province has since dedicated 1 140 general beds, 65 high care beds and 47 ICU beds to COVID-19 care in public hospitals.
The Premier said these facilities are well equipped with oxygen delivery systems, medication and personal protective equipment.
“However, we are facing the challenges of insufficient staff as many of the clinical personnel have been deployed to support the COVID vaccination programme.”
Staff
In addition, the North West will continue to recruit and train healthcare personnel.
He said over 12 000 personnel, including medical officers, specialists, nurses, data capturers, cleaners, food handlers, environmental health practitioners have been trained and assigned to the management of COVID-19 in the province.
Tighter restrictions
He believes that it was “critically” important for law enforcement agencies to intensify the enforcement of compliance of communities with the prevailing regulations to control the further spread of Coronavirus.
“The need for tightening the regulations and possible imposition of higher lockdown level is becoming more apparent to slow down the transmission of COVID-19, relieve the strain being experienced by the health system and prevent morbidity and mortality.”
Interventions
In addition, he said the province has adopted several interventions to mitigate against resurgence.
This includes implementation of appropriate early warning systems, strengthening governance structures and imposing restrictions on activities such as gatherings, social-cultural events, educational events, workplace congestion.
In addition, the province will also optimise all structures including screening and testing, quarantine facilities, isolation and treatment facilities and expansion of the vaccination programme to complement preventive measures.
Meanwhile, quarantine facilities are offering 478 beds to accommodate exposed people who are unable to isolate themselves at home. – SAnews.gov.za
