Photo: Twitter/Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi
@DrMokgethi
SANDF: Defence force arrive in Gauteng to assist COVID-19 hospitals
Medical personnel from the SANDF arrived in Gauteng to assist hospitals attend to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients.
Photo: Twitter/Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi
@DrMokgethi
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed to Gauteng hospitals to assist with the influx of COVID-19 patients, with over 5280 COVID-19 patients presently admitted to facilities in the province.
The Minister of Health in Gauteng, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, confirmed this while welcoming the SANDF at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital today together with Premier David Makura.
SANDF TO HELP GAUTENG DEAL WITH THE SPIKE IN HOSPITALISATIONS
According to Mokgethi, the SANDF are in Gateng to “augment” existing medical staff at all public hospitals in the province. The over 5 000 infected patients are spread across private and public sector hospitals.
Gauteng Premier, David Makhorka described Gauteng as being “on fire” while addressing a media briefing on the arrival of SANDF medical personnel at the hospital.
“This place is burning with coronavirus and our message is very very clear that everywhere around the province there is no exception the test positivity rate is extremely high now, we want to say to people that the chances of getting infected are extremely high wherever you are,” he said at the briefing.
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases confirmed that South Africa recorded over 13,155 infections in the last 24 hours. New infections in Gauteng stands at 8640.
North West accounted for 6%; KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga each accounted for 4%; Eastern Cape, Free State and Limpopo each accounted for 3%; and Northern Cape accounted for 2% of today’s cases.
Mokgethi indicated that the health system in Gauteng is under severe pressure with the increasing number of COVID-19 infections and was thankful for the arrival of SANDF personnel.
“With the first and second wave we managed to contain the pandemic. Our people in Gauteng were adhering to COVI-19 protocol. It looks like our communities are relaxing and not complying with basic protocols like wearing a mask, washing hands regularly and sanitising,” she said.
Over the next 48 hours the SANDF personnel will be vaccinated and deployed to various public hospitals to relieve the strain on medical staff.
Presently, the Baragwanath hospital has 96 beds to accommodate COVID-19 patients.
