NATIONAL NEWS - With KwaZulu-Natal set to overtake the Western Cape with the number of COVID-19 cases in a matter of weeks, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has given the province the nod for its state of readiness for the COVID-19 surge.
“My expectation is that some time during next week KwaZulu-Natal will have more positive cases than what we recorded in the Western Cape. Western Cape is in a downward trend and KZN is on an upward trend,” said the Minister.
Mkhize is on a two-day visit to KZN to inspect the province's state of readiness. During his visit, the Minister conducted oversight visits at Richmond and Edenvale hospital.
Richmond Hospital has been converted from a TB facility into a state-of-the-art COVID19 hospital. The hospital has a total of 95 beds for quarantine and isolation.
“We have now seen in the past weeks that the numbers in Gauteng is on a downward trend, the one province that remained with numbers that were increasing is KwaZulu-Natal.
“It seems therefore for us that the surge in KwaZulu-Natal came about two weeks after Gauteng and two weeks after the Eastern Cape and six weeks after Western Cape so we must therefore focus on KwaZulu-Natal,” said the Minister.
In preparation for the surge in cases, Mkhize said the management of bed occupancy to ensure patients receive treatment.
“I am satisfied on how the recording of the epidemic is actually being done properly. We have seen that the number of patients who are positive and fatalities are increasing. What is important for us is that there is no hospital that is full to the extent that we no longer have beds,” he said.
Northdale hospital
On the matter regarding the death of Sibusiso Edward Khumalo, 67, while in the care of the hospital, the Minister said this must be a message to management to take extra care.
“It must be a message to management that we want them to take their responsibilities quite seriously because there will be action taken on those who are not managing properly and those who are not ensuring that the quality of care to the patient is maintained,” said the Minister.
It is alleged that Khumalo had been placed in a makeshift structure at the hospital upon admission on Friday after he had complained of difficulty in breathing.
Following the incident, the MEC issued an instruction to the Head of Department, Dr Sandile Tshabalala, to institute an independent investigation team to probe the incident.
KZN recorded 87 798 COVID-19 cases, 51 187 recoveries and 1 038 deaths.
The Minister is expected to continue the last leg of his visit on Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
