As infections continue to climb at a rapid rate in the Eastern Cape, The Gift of the Givers has decided to convert an unused wing at an Eastern Cape hospital into a 20-bed Covid-19 isolation facility.
According to Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman Founder of Gift of the Givers said the facility at Makhanda’s (Grahamstown) Settlers Hospital would also be equipped with oxygen points and high- care isolation facilities.
Gift of the Givers will also provide the beds, mattresses, blankets, pillows, linen, fridge, microwave and urn.The casualty department received 16 stretchers to accommodate PUIs (patients under investigation) arriving in their numbers.
“The building team arrived on December 5 and completed the R750 000 renovation in one week. The official handover took place on the 15th of December at the hospital.The aim of equipping outlying hospitals is to reduce the number of patients being referred to Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, thus taking the strain off the exhausted health-care workers in the major centres,” said Sooliman.
He added that they would be supporting the Willowmore Hospital with 15 additional beds, while they would also provide assistance to the Margery Parkes Hospital in Graaff-Reinet, who have agreed to make a wing available to cater for 20 Covid-19 patients.
“Gift of the Givers has already set up a 120-bed Covid-19 facility at Bhisho Hospital. Construction teams will be arriving tomorrow to carry out a R3 million renovation to provide accommodation for medical professionals to reside on site thus increasing staff availability at the facility,” he said.
Sooliman confirmed that the memo between the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape, Trauma Net Ambulance and Gift of the Givers is almost ready having been reviewed by the legal teams.The memo would see the organisation fund 26 paramedics and six nurses who will provide support to Livingstone Hospital.
