Covid-19 vaccine roll-out plan will cover all health staff

The total number of people who have died of Covid-19 in the province is 808, according to statistics released on January 19 by the provincial Department of Health (DoH). On January 11 there had been 711 deaths reported. The active cases are currently on 7 333. Hospital workers at public and private facilities are said to be under pressure. The DoH said it has developed a vaccination roll-out plan. The spokesperson for the provincial DoH, Dumisani Malamule, said, “The vaccine will be given to both public and private health sectors.”

Meanwhile, hospitals have implemented plans on how to deal with the increase of Covid-19 cases. Eda Verster, acting manager of Kiaat Private Hospital, said the hospital is under tremendous pressure. “But we are doing everything in our power to accommodate the patients who arrive at our hospital.”

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Dr Gerrit de Villiers, chief clinical officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa, said the total number of patients currently exceeds the peak of wave one by about 75 per cent and in some hospitals by 100 per cent. He added that their hospitals’ current ventilator capacity is under extreme pressure.

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“We have bought additional ventilators and oxygen delivery devices (oxygenators) for where the infrastructure allowed for additional capacity.” Mzwandile Shongwe, provincial secretary of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, said the premier had honoured their request for a meeting. “Mpumalanga will deal with the issues that are within its mandate and national will focus on its part.” Shongwe added that they are still waiting for feedback.