Covid-19: Call for St Augustine’s Hospital patients to contact KZN Department of Health
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu released a report confirming that 11 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the hospital.
The Department of Health has made a public announcement to any patient treated at Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban from 1 March to date to contact the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Health.
This is after KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu released a report confirming that of the 11 Covid-19 cases linked to the hospital, three of the deceased patients from KwaZulu-Natal had been admitted there.
The Department of Health tweeted that 11 positive Covid-19 cases at St Augustine’s Hospital, included patients, health workers and other staff members. “The KZN Department of Health and Netcare management agreed that the sections of the hospital affected be closed and no new patient admissions be permitted,” the tweet read.
We therefore make a public announcement that if you were a patient at St Augustine’s Hospital from 1 March 2020 to date, we request that you contact the KZN Department of Health #COVID19 #CoronaVirusUpdate
— National Department of Health (@HealthZA) April 4, 2020
Simelane-Zulu also requested that Netcare avails a list of its patients that were exposed to the hospital as from the beginning of March.
CEO of Netcare Group, Dr Richard Friedland released a statement explaining that three patients tragically died in a space of three days between 9 and 13 March at their hospital due to Covid-19. “These patients did not have a history of recent international travel or known contact with a person who was Covid-19 positive nor did they present with any known symptoms of Covid-19 when they were screened on admission.”
Friedland said due to the nature of the situation, there was a collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and Netcare’s St Augustine Hosptial to make a decision to test all health workers who may have come into contact with the three patients for Covid-19 infection.
Measures were put in place to close the emergency department and stop all new admissions into the hospital.
The hospital is currently tracking all persons who may have been in contact with the health workers or patients confirmed or suspected for Covid-19. Netcare sent their deepest condolences to the deceased patient families.
To contact KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health coronavirus hotline, call 033 846 6000.
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