The Netcare N17 Hospital has fully resumed their non-urgent, elective surgeries.
This follows the continued reduction of the number of patients who have been confirmed as Covid-19 positive or who are under investigation for Covid-19 and require hospital care.
“Based on Netcare’s Covid-19 policy and protocols implemented at all Netcare hospitals and day hospitals during the pandemic, our group is managing elective surgery in a responsible manner, always with our patients’ and health-care workers’ best interests and safety at heart,” said Jacques du Plessis, managing director of Netcare’s hospital division.
“Notwithstanding the reduction in cases, Netcare hospitals remain fully vigilant in taking precautions to ensure the safest possible environment for our patients and health-care workers.
“At the same time, we are agile and adaptive in our approach also in relation to the progressive relaxation of visiting of friends and family and other appropriate protocols,” he explained.
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Du Plessis said the decision to proceed with a specific surgical procedure is solely that of the treating surgeon and the patient.
“Should there be a capacity constraint in a specific hospital at a certain time, this is also taken into consideration in determining which surgeries should be given priority.
“Management at Netcare hospitals continue to work closely with the Covid-19 clinical committee, and specifically the surgical sub-committee at their hospital, to ensure the appropriate application of the scheduling principles in such cases.
“To minimise the risk of Covid-19 spreading into or within Netcare hospitals, patients are still required to test for Covid-19 at least 72 hours before their planned admission, to self-quarantine from the time of testing to admission, and to present their results on the day of their planned admission when they will also complete the digital screening for Covid-19.
“Separate zones for patients who are Covid-19 negative, under investigation or positive are strictly maintained to ensure the safety of our patients as well as our health-care workers,” said du Plessis.
He said many patients have not managed their chronic health conditions appropriately during lockdown, and even after the lockdown restrictions were relaxed, often due to their concerns about the safety of seeking care from doctors and health-care facilities.
“This is unfortunately still the case to some extent, and persons are even putting off seeking help from emergency departments for serious acute health conditions.
“This can have avoidable, long-term health consequences for them.”
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He said as lockdown restrictions relaxed to levels three and two, people are increasingly socialising, going to public facilities to shop, exercising or dining out, and many have returned to their places of work.
“However, in many cases, they are still hesitant to access hospital care even when they need it.
“Realistically – and people may not realise it – hospitals with appropriate Covid-19 precautionary measures in place, as we have within Netcare hospitals, are therefore among the safest public places to be.
“Ongoing vigilance and screening of all persons who enter the facilities remain crucial to our approach.
“Our comprehensive precautionary measures include, among many other measures, the daily screening of all persons who work at our facilities for an extensive number of risk factors and not just temperature monitoring, so that any person who may pose a risk can be identified, the wearing of appropriate protection of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, patients and visitors, and our ongoing and thorough disinfecting of all areas,” concluded du Plessis.
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