Only 238 oxygen-needing patients treated at Nasrec Field Hospital
Bloom said only 238 patients at the hospital required oxygen treatment, but R216=million was spent on this 1 000-bed facility.
Gauteng Health Department spent R216-million at Nasrec Field Hospital from April 2020 until the end February.
This was revealed on March 16 by Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi in an oral reply to DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom’s questions at a virtual sitting of the Gauteng Legislature.
Bloom said only 238 patients at the hospital required oxygen treatment, but R216-m was spent on this 1 000-bed facility.
“This is a huge amount of money spent on a small number of patients who needed oxygen treatment for Covid-19, rather than the larger number of patients in quarantine or isolation at Nasrec Field Hospital who could have been put up at much less cost at a hotel.
“Field hospitals should ideally only be in use for less serious patients at the peaks of pandemics when other hospitals cannot cope with the volume of patients.
“For a long time, the beds at Nasrec Field Hospital were mostly empty of patients who required actual treatment rather than quarantine or isolation.
“The auditor general has found that there irregularities in the choice of using the Nasrec facility as a field hospital.
According to the auditor general, the department did not invite as many suppliers as possible and there was no prior approval from the relevant treasury for the emergency procurement of the field hospital as required by treasury regulation.
“Mokgethi said that an investigation would be conducted to determine the culpability for the irregularities in the choice of Nasrec as a field hospital. This investigation should also probe if there was any corruption in spending so much for empty beds at this field hospital.
“The R216-m could have been spent more effectively in enhancing facilities at existing hospitals for Covid-19 patients,” he said.
Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana said Nasrec Field Hospital had three sections that accommodated patients needing oxygen support.
“The facility had admission criteria especially for patients that needed to be on oxygen support, patients had to be clinically stable. The facility assisted with alleviating pressure from hospitals in the Johannesburg district. This included providing accommodating patients who were unable to quarantine or isolate at home.”
