COVID FEARS GROWING IN FS

By Staff Reporter

BLOEMFONTEIN- The Spokesperson of the Free State Department of Health, Mondli Mvambi, says even though the department is ready for the third wave, the pandemic has amply demonstrated that there is no health care system in the world that can successfully stand against Covid-19.

Mvambi said this during a media tour at Universitas recently 

On the question of whether the province was ready for the third wave, Mvambi said the department has always been ready to dispense quality health care services from the onset. 

They have built adequate state of-the art infrastructure during a global pandemic and delivered unexpected results, which saw elderly people of over 80 years who were admitted as Covid-19 positive being successfully treated back to full productive life. 

“The Covid-19 experience has produced well-groomed experts who braved the frontline frontiers of this global pandemic.” 

The Free State province has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases and admission into various hospitals in the province. 

A number of patients have been admitted into general wards whilst the demand for high care and the intensive care unit is also growing steadily. 

Mvambi has disclosed that sadly and most concerning, about 158 patients are currently oxygenated whilst about 40 are currently ventilated. 

He explained that in terms of daily admissions by epidemiological week, they had 358 cases in week 16 (18 April to 24 April), and 351 in week 17 (25 April to 1 May). They are currently at 31 cases of admission in week 18 (3 May). 

Mvambi says the health care systems are as good as the assumptions of responsible preventative behaviours and attitudes of their citizens.

Where there is irresponsibility, complacency and neglect, the health care system gets overwhelmed and simply crumbles. He says they have been implementing strict measures at any point of alarming increase in numbers but these are a subject of review. 

“Allowing restricted numbers of visitors to no visitors is a clinical decision that is taken by the various health facilities.” Mvambi has told the media on tour at Universitas Academic hospital that there is no need for panic, but for everyone to stick to following the regulations such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, hand sanitizing, practicing cough etiquette, not travelling needlessly, etc. 

The Health Department says it is important for the people of the Free State to do the basic simple things and avoid falling victim. In the midst of a mutating virus without a cure, it is preferable to continue practicing the established non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccinate at an earliest possible opportunity. 

It is an added advantage for the people who have vaccinated to continue using the non-pharmaceutical interventions because, even if they were to be infected by any chance, they are unlikely to be seriously ill or even face the possibility of death.