SANDF medics to help as Eastern Cape struggles to cope with Covid-19 surge

Getting tested for Covid-19 at Livingstone Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay could take at least two days of queueing from as early as 5am — and even that is no guarantee you will be helped as the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) mobile clinic can test only 80 people a day.

The 80 people due to be tested on Friday, when the Sunday Times visited the site, had registered at least two days before. Those in the long queue of people turned away were advised to register at the Korsten Health Centre on Monday in the hope of getting tested on Tuesday.

With daily infections in the Eastern Cape reaching an average of 1,000 this week, premier Oscar Mabuyane has admitted the health department is struggling to cope. He has made a plea for help to President Cyril Ramaphosa and defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed it will be bringing in medical personnel to assist and the provincial health department said they would be stationed at the Rev Dr Elizabeth Mamisa Chabula-Nxiweni Field Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The field hospital was sponsored by Volkswagen SA and the German government. The Eastern Cape government has yet to advertise for the construction of eight planned state field hospitals.

The provincial coronavirus command council has predicted 5,000 to 6,000 people will die of Covid-19 in the province.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has sent his clinical adviser, Dr Sibongile Zungu, to the province to assist health MEC Sindiswa Gomba. Initially, Mkhize sent 10 officials including epidemiologists and a procurement specialist to support the province. But this does not appear to have helped stem infection rates.

The province has 140 intensive care unit (ICU) and high-care beds, 2,123 isolation beds and 2,626 hospital beds. According to a report by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to the provincial command council on Wednesday, there are 848 Covid patients in the province’s hospitals — 105 in ICU, 737 in isolation wards, six in high care, 52 on ventilators, and 222 on oxygen.

Health superintendent-general Dr Thobile Mbengashe said 3,000 ICU beds are desperately needed. The provincial health department has 530 ICU beds, and is in the process of providing more, he said.

By Friday the province had recorded 30,603 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 451 deaths and 15,843 recoveries.

SANDF joint operation division spokesperson Capt Jaco Theunissen confirmed to the Sunday Times that military doctors and nurses will be made available where needed, but could not give details on how many or when they will arrive.

Provincial government spokesperson Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha said the team will be deployed to hotspot areas to augment health workers, many of whom have been infected by the virus.

 The Sunday Times has learnt that some will also be deployed at the Livingstone and Dora Nginza hospitals in Port Elizabeth, the Frere and Cecilia Makhiwane hospitals in East London, Frontier Hospital in Queenstown and Mthatha General Hospital.

Provincial public works spokesperson Vuyokazi Mbanjwa said the department has finalised a concept design for 500 beds per field hospital and is awaiting approval by the health department.

“The plan is to finalise procurement by the second week of July and complete construction by October,” he said.

However, the head of the health faculty at Nelson Mandela University, professor Lungile Pepeta, said that might be too late.

“My biggest concern now is does government have enough staff to man those field hospitals? If we don’t have enough staff, why continue building these field hospitals?”

Meanwhile, at Livingstone Hospital, there was no sign of social distancing where testing was being done on Friday.

The crowd quickly huddled around a nurse when she started calling out the names of registered patients.

A 27-year old New Brighton woman who identified herself only as Sinazo, and who works at an old-age home, said her visit to the clinic was her second attempt at getting a Covid-19 test done. Her boyfriend had tested positive earlier in the week.

Sitting on the pavement with a heaving cough, Sisanda Mooi, 28, from New Brighton, was also turned away. “I have been having shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness and tiredness,” she said.

“We are told about a booking system even though the nurses can see that we are dying. They refuse to help.”

Also desperate to get tested was Luzanne Felix, 45, of Schauderville, whose grandmother, son and two nieces tested positive last week.

NHLS spokesperson Mzi Gcukumana failed to respond to questions by the time of going to print.