GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Mediclinic Southern Africa said in a statement yesterday, Tuesday 29 June that it has put all resources in place to manage the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said that its hospitals are experiencing a "very strong demand" for hospital beds during the current third wave, impacting Gauteng in particular, but also noted increases in demand in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Western Cape.
Chief clinical officer Dr Gerrit de Villiers said this demand is being experienced across much of the industry as a result of the increase in patient numbers and severity of patients’ conditions, and is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
He said while ICU and high care Care capacity may vary from hospital to hospital depending on the number of licensed beds, not all COVID-19 patients require ICU care or mechanical ventilation.
"Many admitted patients are treated successfully with supplemental oxygen and other supportive treatment modalities and Mediclinic has capacity within its medical wards to assist patients in this manner."
Patients arriving at Mediclinic emergency centres follow the triage process whereby clinical priority is determined. Urgent cases will be stabilised and admitted, or transferred to another suitable facility to ensure that they receive the appropriate care. Mediclinic hospitals are in constant contact with other hospitals within the area to understand demand for care at each facility and best manage the flow of patients.
Severity of Delta variant
"Mediclinic, along with all other healthcare providers, is now facing the increasing impact of the third surge, which has been dramatic and far more significant in volume in Gauteng than the previous waves," said De Villiers.
He said the Delta variant (originally seen in India) spreads exceptionally fast and as a result, causes a steep rise in new infections, a key reason for the tremendous pressure currently being experienced by healthcare resources.
"It is important for the public to note that these resources are getting to capacity, and personal behaviour which prevents person to person spread is key to reducing the demand and allowing healthcare providers to best allocate these resources."
Importance of vaccination and adjusted behaviour
De Villiers emphasised the need for the public to adjust their behaviour to reduce their risk of infection by the coronavirus.
"By adjusting their behaviour, the community can contribute to slowing the progress of the pandemic, thereby relieving pressure on the facilities supporting severely impacted patients."
He asked the public to wear masks, adhere to social distancing, avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation and practise regular hand hygiene.
"Surface cleaning and avoiding of social gatherings outside an individual’s direct family circle are important measures that should be adopted. It is vital that anyone not feeling well remains at home to avoid any further risk to community members."
He said it is also "vitally important" that all eligible members of the community register themselves for vaccination.
"It has been proven that the vaccine provides the body with additional protection against becoming severely ill from the virus, as well as reducing the risk of death."
Members of the public who are over 60 years of age can choose to register via different channels, depending on their access to these channels:
• visiting the online portal at https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za/#/
• sending a WhatsApp saying “REGISTER” to 0600 123 456
• sending an SMS to *134*832* followed by your ID number
• dialing *134*832# if you do not have an ID number
Mediclinic is operating 10 Pfizer vaccination centres as part of the Department of Health’s vaccine roll-out. It is in the process of opening 13 further sites that will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as soon as stock is available.
The vaccination centres are operating on an appointment basis as designated by the EVDS system in order to reduce risk for those awaiting vaccination and to ensure fair distribution of the vaccine.
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
