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Free Durban private clinic braced for pending spike in Covid-19 infections
A medical doctor and her staff at a small privately run clinic in Durban are bracing themselves for an influx of patients, stemming from the inevitable third wave of Covid-19.
Dr Devashnie Govender who treats Covid-19 patients free of charge at her clinic foresees the Easter holidays as being a superspreader event and anticipates that many people will let their guard down and contribute to a rise in infections.
“I truly believe there will be a third wave, I think it will be sooner than what is predicted. Most are predicting June or July. I foresee towards the middle of April we will see an increase. By the end of April, we should be on an upper curve if not peaking by that point,” she said, speaking to Daily Maverick recently.
Govender said the current numbers were “low enough for people to think that Covid is gone so there is a false sense of security that has come with the vaccine, but not everybody is vaccinated”.
Govender was compelled to set up her clinic in January after the death of a pregnant 33-year-old patient, due to Durban hospitals being under immense pressure. She started by simply treating patients in chairs because she had no beds at her disposal. But her local community came to the rescue and donated medical beds, portable oxygen machines, medication and other essentials.
This meant she was able to turn the community hall into a fully-fledged Covid-19 ward, treating up to 20 patients a day during the second wave.
As things have quietened down, the clinic now only operates two days a week but Govender and her team are busy making preparations for the anticipated third wave.
“We are currently preparing for the third wave in terms of medication, supplies and PPE — almost like we’re stockpiling. When the actual incline and numbers go up, everything price-wise together with supply and demand becomes an issue. So we are still taking in donations in terms of Covid packs so that when the third wave hits we don’t have to be scrounging around for supplies, we will have more than enough to treat our patients.”
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said in a media briefing held in February there was a possibility that the third wave could be even more damaging than the previous two waves and that there was no way to prevent it. “Its impact will probably be more devastating.”
He also urged members of the public to follow health protocols to prevent the surge of the virus during the Easter holidays.
“I just want to join my colleagues and plead with citizens to adhere to health protocols especially as we approach the Easter holidays. The possibility of the next wave remains a reality and it is up to our own behaviour that will help us avoid a surge of the nature that we have recently seen.” DM
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