The MEC for Health Madoda Sambatha accompanied by MEC for Agriculture Hon. Desbo Mohono conducted an oversight visit in Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital Complex on Monday 14/06/2021. The visit was informed by a recent outbreak of SARS 2 Covid-19 in a Non Covid-19 Ward at Tshepong Hospital which resulted in Management Decision to stop all hospital visiting hours since the 5th June 2021, as this Impacted on the broader services.
The Management briefed the MEC on the strategic measures taken to quickly and successfully contain the outbreak of Covid-19 in a Non-Covid-19 Ward. Those measures included summarily stopping public visiting hours into the hospital with immediate effect until further notice. This was done to protect the Public and admitted patients against being infected, carrying and spreading the disease into the unsuspecting community which might create high risk and spread the outbreak to Community.
“I am satisfied with the swift and prompt management intervention to contain the Covid-19 outbreak in Tshepong Ward “said MEC Madoda Sambatha. “One patient tested Covid Positive in Non Covid Ward of sick vulnerable patients’. “The Hospital decided to do a rapid test on the patients and an additional 6 turned Covid Positive”. “The containment shows the management preparedness to deal with any disaster that might strike” said the MEC.
According to the Clinical Manager of Tshepong Hospital Dr. David Leburu “a more sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Test was conducted and extra 5 patients turned positive to make a total of 12. ‘” All staff members including those on day and night duty offs were recalled and tested for covid-19”.
The Covid-19 positive patients were admitted to a Covid-19 Ward, and their initial ward decontaminated before being used again.
The increasing number of Covid-19 patients admitted further forced the Hospital to turn a Surgical ward into a Covid-19 Ward, at Tshepong hospital. Thus, impacting on the availability of beds for surgical conditions and operations.
Source: Government of South Africa