Alternative Africa

Top Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Reports
    • Africa-Observers
      • Read Reports
      • Submit a story
  • MORE
    • Health
    • News Now
    • World
    • Technology
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

logo

Alternative Africa

  • Home
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Reports
    • Africa-Observers
      • Read Reports
      • Submit a story
  • MORE
    • Health
    • News Now
    • World
    • Technology
  • 33 year old Nigerian, Michael Nzube dies under police custody in India

  • Trial to begin for US policeman charged with George Floyd death

  • France to counter rising Chinese influence in Africa with generous, efficient aids

  • Zimbabwe reports impressive growth in production in 2020 despite Covid-19

  • Covax delivers 12 million vaccines doses to 17 African countries for vaccination

AfricaHealthNews Now
Home›Africa›South Africa runs short of bed capacity as Covid-19 numbers soar

South Africa runs short of bed capacity as Covid-19 numbers soar

By alternativeafrica
July 8, 2020
334
0
Share:

London, July 9, 2020 (AltAfrica)-South Africa’s Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize says bed capacity in the country’s hospitals is expected to be breached in the next four weeks as the country battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa during an inspection of facilities at a covid-19 centre

While addressing members of Parliament on Wednesday, Mkhize said although the current projects had shown that fewer Covid-19 patients would need hospitalisation, the country’s bed capacity for those in need will be insufficient as the country heads towards its peak.  

READ ALSO: HEALTH EXPERTS WORRY OVER 2020 HIV/AIDS TARGET, MEDICINES SUPPLY AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

As of Tuesday, the country had recorded over 215 000 cases and 3502 deaths. Recoveries were recorded at 102 299.

The hardest hits provinces in case numbers such as Gauteng and the Eastern Cape could be unable to meet the demand of ICU or non-ICU cases.

Inside a South African field hospital coping with Covid-19 patients. Now the health minister says the country is running short of bed capacity as Covid-19 numbers continue to soar (CNN Video Image)

“Currently planned hospital beds in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng are projected to be insufficient for combined non-ICU bed demand and the overflow from ICU once ICU capacity has been breached. Bed capacity, including all currently committed public and private sector beds, is expected to be breached in the next four weeks.

“The Department of Health has developed and is implementing the Surge Strategy, in anticipation of the peak. This will ensure that the department increases capacity for Covid-19,” Mkhize said.

He said the department of health has been able to re-purpose 27 467 beds increasing bed capacity to 40 309.

The minister said there had been various field hospitals that have been built across the country which could help add additional bed capacity.

“The department of health has built several field hospitals, which will primarily be used for admission of mild cases. The Western Cape has completed constructing three field hospitals which are functional. Gauteng (NASREC), KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) and Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth, VW) each have one field hospital which are also operational,” he said.

On the treatment of Covid-19 patients, Mkhize said the department of health was working with the department of trade industry to manufacture air pressure devices, while an audit is being conduct with the help of National Treasury on the country’s oxygen capacity.

“The department of health is working with the department of trade and industry and competition to manufacture Continuous Positive Air Pressure devices called CPAP, for short. Through this arrangement, the department of trade, industry and Competition has mandated the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) to manage the national effort required for the local design, development, production and procurement of these respiratory ventilators to support the government’s response. These are being procured in top of the 1000 ventilators generously donated by the US government,” he said.

“The department is working with the National Treasury and partners to conduct an audit of the oxygen reticulation infrastructure in all our hospitals. These audits are being conducted with a priority focus on the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The outcome of these audits will give us a sense of the amount of work that needs to be done to address the gaps that undermine the expanded supply of oxygen to patients.” 

Source

SHARE ON:
TagsCovid-19 TreatmentShortage of BedsSouth African Isolation Centre
Previous Article

Health experts worry over 2020 HIV/AIDS target, ...

Next Article

UNDP inaugurates first Solar Lab in Sudan

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

alternativeafrica

Related articles More from author

  • AfricaHealthNews Now

    Nigerian president, Buhari to emulate 4 African leaders who publicly received covid-jab

    March 2, 2021
    By alternativeafrica
  • BusinessFeatureHealthNews NowWorld

    Scientists develop new Nasal vaccine that can cure covid-19 with one dose

    August 24, 2020
    By alternativeafrica
  • HealthNews NowWorld

    WHO issues new clinical advice on treating covid patients at home , hospital

    January 26, 2021
    By alternativeafrica
  • AfrikaTVHealthNews NowWorld

    New Covid-19 Breakthrough: Nasal spray treatment extremely successful in fighting coronavirus

    September 29, 2020
    By alternativeafrica
  • HealthNews NowWorld

    Covid-19: More than 2.1 million people vaccinated in six countries -Bloomberg Tracker

    December 22, 2020
    By alternativeafrica
  • HealthNews NowWorld

    It’s “V-day” in UK as covid-19 vaccination programme gets under way

    December 8, 2020
    By alternativeafrica

Leave a reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You might be interested

  • BusinessNews Now

    President Kagame Of Rwanda Meets With America Television Host Ellen DeGeneres

  • HealthNews NowWorld

    New study says 100,000 people catching coronavirus every day in England

  • BusinessNews NowPolitics

    Nigeria: National Assembly Releases Details Of Its 2018 Budget

Timeline

  • March 7, 2021

    33 year old Nigerian, Michael Nzube dies under police custody in India

  • March 7, 2021

    Trial to begin for US policeman charged with George Floyd death

  • March 7, 2021

    France to counter rising Chinese influence in Africa with generous, efficient aids

  • March 7, 2021

    Zimbabwe reports impressive growth in production in 2020 despite Covid-19

  • March 7, 2021

    Covax delivers 12 million vaccines doses to 17 African countries for vaccination

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Lagos govt confirms first case of deadly coronavirus infection in Nigeria

    By alternativeafrica
    February 28, 2020
  • Keynote Address of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at 2018 Oxford Africa Conference

    By PSJ Africa
    May 14, 2018
  • Morocco begins regional integration by connecting Casablanca Airport with High Speed Train

    By alternativeafrica
    January 4, 2020
  • Kenyan govt pressure Facebook for data on Kenyan users

    By alternativeafrica
    November 20, 2019
  • Nigeria: 32,000 capacity Lagos rice mill to start production in 2020

    By alternativeafrica
    December 23, 2019
  • Ado zagi
    on
    January 12, 2021

    Nigeria: EFCC Academy to begin award of degree

    Diploma leave areply from
  • Ethiopia joins Africa's Artificial Intelligence revolution | Alternative Africa
    on
    October 2, 2020

    Spending on Artificial Intelligence Systems in Africa, Middle East to top $374 million in 2020

    […] Many African countries ...
  • The 5 most popular Africans 2020
    on
    September 25, 2020

    Celebrating Congolese doctor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the man behind breakthrough of Ebola cure

    […] Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe ...
  • Millitants in Central Mali Set Jail Ablaze in Attack Killing Two | taktik(z) GDI (Government Defense ...
    on
    August 11, 2020

    Fifteen gendarmes killed in another attack on Mali camp

    […] attack fol­lowed a January ...
  • Millitants in Central Mali Set Jail Ablaze in Attack Killing Two
    on
    August 11, 2020

    Fifteen gendarmes killed in another attack on Mali camp

    […] attack followed a ...
AlternativeAfrica.com is an independent Pan African News Website dedicated primarily to influencing the negative narratives about Africa. We hope to do this by focusing and showcasing the many developmental strides sweeping across the continent.

Read more >>>

Contact Info

  • info@alternativeafrica.com
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • 33 year old Nigerian, Michael Nzube dies under police custody in India

    By alternativeafrica
    March 7, 2021
  • Trial to begin for US policeman charged with George Floyd death

    By alternativeafrica
    March 7, 2021
  • France to counter rising Chinese influence in Africa with generous, efficient aids

    By alternativeafrica
    March 7, 2021
  • Zimbabwe reports impressive growth in production in 2020 despite Covid-19

    By alternativeafrica
    March 7, 2021
  • Lagos govt confirms first case of deadly coronavirus infection in Nigeria

    By alternativeafrica
    February 28, 2020
  • Keynote Address of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at 2018 Oxford Africa Conference

    By PSJ Africa
    May 14, 2018
  • Macron in Ivory Coast to launch anti-terrorism academy

    By alternativeafrica
    December 21, 2019
  • Kenyan govt pressure Facebook for data on Kenyan users

    By alternativeafrica
    November 20, 2019
  • Ado zagi
    on
    January 12, 2021

    Nigeria: EFCC Academy to begin award of degree

    Diploma leave areply from
  • Ethiopia joins Africa's Artificial Intelligence revolution | Alternative Africa
    on
    October 2, 2020

    Spending on Artificial Intelligence Systems in Africa, Middle East to top $374 million in 2020

    […] Many African countries ...
  • The 5 most popular Africans 2020
    on
    September 25, 2020

    Celebrating Congolese doctor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the man behind breakthrough of Ebola cure

    […] Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe ...
  • Millitants in Central Mali Set Jail Ablaze in Attack Killing Two | taktik(z) GDI (Government Defense ...
    on
    August 11, 2020

    Fifteen gendarmes killed in another attack on Mali camp

    […] attack fol­lowed a January ...

Photostream

    Follow us

    • Home
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
    © Copyright Alternative Africa 2019. All rights reserved.