BUSINESS NEWS - The public was supposed to be informed about the strain that alcohol-related trauma admissions were putting on the national health system before the sale of alcohol was banned for a second time.
This is according to the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC), which has released the report that it says could be one of the reasons government put the brakes on the sale of liquor during advanced Level 3 lockdown a week ago.
It predicts that the ban could last for at least eight weeks. It presented its report to the government in early July.
“It should be noted that there are multiple pressures on the government to relax current restrictions on alcohol and … it is clear that these should not be entertained.
“It is imperative to maintain absolute transparency and inform the public of [the] rationale behind its decision to reimpose a ban or tighter restrictions,” the report says.
The report makes it clear that the SAMRC is in favour of “early implementation of a ban or restriction” when it comes to the sale of booze.
It says during levels 4 and 5 of the lockdown, which included a ban on the sale of liquor from both on-site and off-site consumption outlets, there was a 60% to 70% reduction in hospital visits and admissions related to trauma.
Since 1 June, when restrictions for many industries were eased, the council says there has been an “a noticeable surge in trauma-related hospital visits”.
“This has been anecdotally attributed to easing of restrictions related to the sale and distribution of alcohol,” it says.
Estimated benefits
It estimates that the ban could achieve a reduction of approximately 3 400 alcohol-related trauma presentations across public secondary and tertiary hospitals by the end of the first week and about 6 800 by the third week.
“This is likely to have a substantial impact on reducing the burden on staff in trauma units, [and] the demand for inpatient beds, ICU facilities and ventilation capacity,” SAMRC says.
Since the initial ban was lifted, there has been a 2% increase in stab-related admissions to ICU for an average of five days.
