Gauteng hospitals under pressure as Covid-19 infections rise

Graphics: National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Graphics: National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Published Jun 8, 2021

Share

CAPE TOWN - Almost half of the national total hospital admissions for Covid-19 infections have been recorded in Gauteng.

For the past two weeks, the province has experienced an increase in Covid-19 cases, driving the third wave of infections nationally, as it experiences a sustained increase in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions.

More than 3 000 people are are in the province’s public and private facilities, with 747 in ICU and 316 people on life support. Nationally there are about 6 727 hospital admissions.

With the province leading the uptick in Covid-19 cases nationally, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said the increase in admissions were severe and put hospitals under pressure.

Graphics: National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

He warned that, with inadequate supply of power and electricity in the battle against Covid-19, the situation would worsen.

Netcare chief executive Richard Friedland said Netcare’s hospitals were under pressure as they were seeing a significant rise in hospital admissions.

"Here in Gauteng, in terms of active cases, we're now approximately 50% of where we were in the second wave. We are seeing a significant rise in hospital admissions across all private and public facilities in the province. Fortunately, I think we have a very good oxygen supply and 80% of health-care workers have been vaccinated,” Friedland told ENCA.

The province has recorded more than 476 000 infections, averaging more than 2 000 cases a day over the past week and accounting for 52% of the cases countrywide.

Graphics:National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

There are 103 vaccination sites in the province, 63 of which are in the public sector.

[email protected]

Related Topics:

healthcovid 19