Residents have expressed concern about the delivery of essential services since the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last Monday about the 21-day national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The lockdown started on March 26 at midnight and will last until midnight on April 16.
The GCN spoke to Bertha Gxowa Hospital CEO Dr Arthur Manning about how the hospital will be operating during the shutdown and what precautionary measures have been put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
ALSO READ: Covid-19: Makause residents taught about Covid-19
“Firstly, people need to remain calm.
“We have made arrangements as the hospital to ensure we protect our staff and people who come to the hospital.
“We screen people who think they might have come into contact with someone positive and also screen those who might have signs.
“But we urge people to come in to get tested when they see symptoms,” said Manning.
“We cannot test everyone, but we will not turn people away when they need our help.
“We have also allocated isolation rooms for patients who display symptoms of the Covid-19 virus, where they will be tested and quarantined before being sent to a hospital.”
The hospital has cancelled all visiting hours, except for mothers with admitted babies.
“With the lockdown, we will be allowing only emergencies.
“These precautionary measures are important for the safety of our staff and patients,” said Manning.
“It’s important people adhere to these restrictions because we want to limit the number of unnecessary walk-ins into the hospital.
“Operations that are not life-threatening will also be put on hold.
“We will only do those that are life-threatening,” said Manning.
The hospital has set up sanitisation stations at all its entrances.
ALSO READ: Your blood is still needed by SANBS amid Covid-19 pandemic
It has also been using the TVs in the waiting areas to educate people about the virus and how they can protect themselves.-
“We have trained all staff members to know how to handle a potential Covid-19 case, as well as a positive case.
“It’s important that we are prepared to deal with any case,” said Manning.
He urged residents to first start at the clinics when in need of medical assistance.
“We encourage people to start at the clinics if they are not feeling well.
“Clinic staff have been trained how to conduct testing,” said Manning.
The hospital will also limit the movement of staff during the lockdown as a way to curb the spread of virus.
“We will try to make the necessary arrangements for staff to minimise their movement,” said Manning.
ALSO READ: Watch: Dr Manning, Bertha Gxowa CEO speaks on the hospital’s precautionary measures in place in response to Covid-19
For more information and updates on Covid-19 and the hospital during the lockdown visit the hospital’s Facebook page.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist) busiv@caxton.co.za.
Also follow us on:
