Admission criteria for the Nasrec Expo Covid-19 Treatment Centre

Provincial health department shares referral criteria and process of admission for their Soccer City Covid-19 treatment facility.

With the Gauteng Health Department clearing up rumours and allegations that the Nasrec Field Hospital is not operational nor experiencing theft of equipment, the public has grown curious on how one gets referred to the facility. The department once again shared admission criteria for members of the public in need of a place to quarantine, isolate and recover from Covid-19.

The key purpose of the centre was to help ease the pressure from hospitals and clinics during the pandemic and according to Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana, it has been successful in doing so. The centre has already admitted and treated 1 222 patients between 15 June 2020 and 11 January 2021.

The department did state that the referral criteria and process of admission to quarantine, isolation and intermediate care facility differ. What is standard between the three is that potential patients will need to contact the facility (066 442 6289 or 060 722 3739) prior to their arrival to the centre. No patient will be attended to without making the necessary arrangements with the facility. All approved patients will need to make their own transportation arrangements to the field hospital and to have two weeks’ supply of comfortable clothing, if possible upon their arrival. The department reiterated that the quarantine and isolation facilities are only for those who are not able to do so at their home or place of residence.

Admission criteria for quarantine and isolation beds:

• Confirmed to be Covid-19 positive, those awaiting results and close contacts
• Able to maintain Sp02 of 93 per cent on room air
• Non-pregnant females
• Clinically stable or improving
• Able to get out of bed and walk to bathroom with minimal assistance (Patients with walkers may be accepted)
• Normal level of consciousness
• No psychiatric disturbance
• No intravenous lines or need for intravenous medications or fluids
• No requirement for additional blood tests
• No requirement for advanced nursing care
• All patients must be transferred with all acute and chronic medications (bring your own existing medication).

Admission criteria for intermediate care facility (patients requiring oxygen):

• Confirmed to be Covid-19 positive
• Able to maintain Spo2 of 90 per cent requiring not more than 1 OL oxygen by nasal prong or facemask
• Non-pregnant adult
• Clinically stable or improving
• Able to get out of bed and walk to bathroom with minimal assistance (Patients with walkers and oxygen cylinder may be accepted)
• Normal level of consciousness
• No psychiatric disturbance
• No intravenous lines or need for intravenous medications or fluids
• No requirement for additional blood tests
• No requirement for advanced nursing care
• Note, patients with high sugars can be accepted as long as they are not acidotic or dehydrated.

Referrals are pre-arranged can be made by calling either one of the following numbers: 066 442 6289; 060 722 3739.