Steve Biko academic hospital in Pretoria has seen a sharp increase in the number of Covd-19 patients since December 2020. Last week, images of Covid patients being treated outside tents at a hospital made rounds on social media.
The Gauteng Health Department has confirmed that the facility has had a sharp increase in Coronavirus patients since December. It says the patients are requiring critical care, with some arriving in groups and putting serious pressure on the facility. Another important issue is the shortage of medical personnel.
Provincial health MEC spokesperson Kwara Kekana confirmed the veracity of images being shared on social media.
Early last year the Gauteng department of health converted Tshwane District Hospital (TDH) into a strictly Covid-19 treating facility in partnership with the Steve Biko hospital, transforming the two hospitals into a complex, said Kekana. This was to increase Covid-19 designated beds within the complex.
The department said the Steve Biko emergency unit entrance has an area that has a roof, designed to handle disasters of especially patients in the emergency category Priority3 (P3s), “of which patients whose images are in the social media fall into”.
On Sunday, the province said the total number of Covid cases in Gauteng sits at 328,925 with 276,998 recoveries and 6,142 deaths. A total of 4,033 people are currently hospitalised in the public and private facilities. #ladi_jaja?
