Mental health patients among most vulnerable to Covid-19, says Gauteng dept of health

The Gauteng department of health has said that patients at mental health facilities are among the most vulnerable groups to Covid-19.

The department said this was because a number of patients at mental health care facilities have comorbidities and most are unable to adhere to Covid-19 precautionary measures such as regular handwashing, cough etiquette, wearing of masks and maintaining physical distancing.

The department has said that it was closely monitoring Covid-19 cases at mental health care facilities in the province after 168 patients and staff tested positive for the disease. Two patients at different facilities died from the disease.

The department said it would monitor the cases in facilities it runs and those it had contracted.

It said it has four specialised mental health facilities, namely, Weskopies, Sterkfontein, Tara H Moross Psychiatric Hospital and Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre.

Life Esidimeni health care, Waverley and Baneng care centres, and Clinix Health Group, Solomon Stix Morewa Hospital, have been contracted by the department.

As of Tuesday, the number of cases at the facilities were as follows:

Weskoppies:

• 19 patients tested positive
• One patient with an underlying illness died on 15 June
• Eight staff members tested positive and are in isolation

Sterkfontein:

• Seven staff members tested positive

Tara H Moross Psychiatric Hospital:

• A woman patient tested positive and
• A staff member exposed to the patient later tested positive, the staff member is in isolation at home with mild symptoms

Baneng Care Centre:

• Seven patients tested positive
• Nine staff members tested positive, three have recovered and returned to work

Waverley Care Centre:

• One patient tested positive
• Four staff tested positive and are isolating at home

Solomon Stix Morewa Memorial Hospital:

• 93 patients tested positive
• One elderly man with underlying conditions died on 17 June after he was admitted at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital
• 18 staff tested positive and are isolating

“The department is closely monitoring the situation across the facilities,” the department said in a statement.

It added it had put in place a number of measures at the facilities to manage Covid-19.

These measures include:

• The establishment of Covid-19 task teams
• Daily screening of patients and staff
• Stable patients are given masks and encourage to maintain social distancing
• Personal protective equipment issued and used by staff
• Sanitising of hands before entering wards
• Continuous training of staff on the management of Covid-19 cases

“One of the key steps is the engagement with the families of the affected mental health care users so that they are updated on developments on this regard,” the department said, adding that it continued to work with stakeholders to minimize the impact of Covid-19 on mental health patients.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)