Gauteng Premier David Makhura, Acting Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo as well as Infrastructure MEC Tasneem Motara recently visited Baragwanath Academic hospital, to inspect new infrastructure and completed renovations.
Premier David Makhura said Bara is one of the hospitals where the battle against corona was won. He added however, that the risk of a second covid-19 surge, which might affect the province as well as townships frightens.
“We will visit all four facilities that assisted in fighting the pandemic every week. Our concern is to hear about how they coped during the peak of July. We have already received a report from the leadership of Chris Hani Baragwanath. They said their wards were upgraded. Although some lost lives, a lot of Covid-19 patients were saved. We want to continue working with health professionals as there is a lot to be done. Most importantly is that we have infrastructure on the picture. It assists to meet health needs such as beds for patients. By the end of this year, we want to bring 3 422 new beds that did not exist before in the wards. We got a report that there is a lot of pressure on our healthcare workers, but we will bring new significant technology, which will save lives”, said Makhura.
Infrastructure Development MEC Tasneem Motara said the department handed out beds to hospitals such as Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Jubilee District Hospital and Dr George Makhuri Academic Hospital.
“The department gave out critical care beds, general beds and ICU beds to the mentioned hospitals. We also considered upgrades of the hospitals by providing required health needs during this covid-19 pandemic. As infrastructure started its projects during level 5 of lockdown, we encountered some challenges. There was covid-19 outbreak at sites, delay on importation of materials as businesses were closed, construction functions and operational was also a challenge”, she said.
Gauteng Department of Health Acting MEC Jacob Mamabolo said Gauteng province remains the epic centre of corona pandemic with the highest number of infections. However, he said the province also got the highest number of recoveries.
“There has been a track of positive infections at district and sub-district level. City of Johannesburg has the highest number of infections followed by Ekurhuleni in the City of Sedibeng and Tshwane. Despite the level of infections, people should continue with social distancing, sanitising and wearing of masks”, he said.
