POLOKWANE – This is according to Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba who said the remaining number of Covid-19 patients in the province is manageable.
“Because of the Covid-19 pro-roll-out programme, we can manage the current numbers. We still encourage residents to receive booster vaccines so that they are not easily infected.”
Ramathuba mentioned how she, at the start of the pandemic, refused to imitate developed provinces where convention centres were commissioned into field hospitals when thousands of people in the country needed medical attention.
The provincial department had already identified better ways to accommodate patients, she clarified.
“People would ask why we cannot renovate the Peter Mokaba Stadium, and put in beds, oxygen ventilators, and so on. I told them that we are a rural province, we do not have the infrastructure, and instead focused on acquiring equipment that would suit the province in the long run.”
Ramathuba says they demolished the wards that were hardly used at the time due to limited casualty cases as a result of Covid-19 restrictions and simply added more beds and oxygen ventilators while also stocking up on Personal Protective Equipment for Covid-19 patients and employees.
“Everything we procured for Covid-19 is still being used. Ventilators are now helping patients with TB and those in ICU, and beds are almost sufficient in the province because of our suggestion at the time,” she adds.
Ramathuba says they are happy to have not taken up the advice to build more infrastructure,
“You can build all of these facilities and they will end up accumulating dust,” Ramathuba commented.
