Covid-19

Maverick Citizen: Covid-19

Gauteng’s third wave health emergency: Desperate doctors appeal for more support

Gauteng’s third wave health emergency: Desperate doctors appeal for more support
Doctors at Gauteng’s main hospitals fear that they are being overwhelmed by the Third Wave of Covid-19 and believe that urgent and decisive measures are needed to support them and the hospitals they work in. (Photo: Richard Borge/scientificamerican.com/Wikipedia)

Doctors at Gauteng’s main hospitals fear being overwhelmed by the third wave of Covid-19 and believe urgent and decisive measures are needed to support them and the hospitals they work in. 

A doctor at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, sounding as if he was on the verge of breakdown, today described the situation at that hospital as “absolute chaos” and “getting worse and worse”. He expressed grave fears about how the hospital will cope if the third wave in Gauteng does not peak for another two weeks. 

“We are all feeling desperate. We are not okay. Pretending that it is not fair on the medical staff and nurses,” he said.

He reported that the pharmacy was now seeing 1,000 more patients a day than usual and that the hospital had had to suspend the surgical emergency unit to make more capacity available for Covid-19.   

At Helen Joseph Hospital, a senior doctor said the facility “is struggling hugely. More than 60 people are waiting for a bed in the emergency department. Our ability to deliver oxygen to everyone is holding but is very strained.”

(Graph: Ridhwaan Suliman on Twitter)

He added that the “numbers are astronomical – worse than the first two waves, both because Gauteng has been hit so hard and because of CMJAH’s [Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital] closure. We’ve got an NGO to erect another temporary tent outside to help offer a bit of extra space and beds – [it] should be operational by Tuesday. It will help a bit.”

According to clinicians, Pretoria is always a week or two behind central Gauteng. But the wave is growing there too.

A doctor who works at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the Tshwane District Hospital complex reported that, “It’s bad. Overflowing. Trying to open more beds. Trying to get more nurses and doctors.” He added that “Deep demoralisation is setting in with the senior doctors.” 

At George Mukhari Dr Nathi Mdladla, the chief intensivist, said that 87 people are now admitted with Covid: “The number of severe cases has been growing exponentially in the last few days, so we should be having way more in a few days.”

In this dire context many health workers are feeling betrayed by the provincial health department and Premier David Makhura. Calls to reopen Charlotte Maxeke’s 56 ICU beds, closed since April, have fallen on deaf ears. An online petition to reopen the hospital, initiated by Prof Daynia Ballot, head of the Wits School of Clinical Medicine, has over 24,000 signatures. But the hospital remains closed. 

Once again, the alternative building technology hospitals have proved to be unready as another wave of Covid hits. At Chris Hani Bara only one of the four blocks of 125 beds is being used and even then the new wards can’t be occupied by very sick patients because the necessary ICU equipment and specialists are all in the main hospital, 500 metres away. 

At George Mukhari the new wards remain unoccupied. Kalafong Hospital is still mired in a legal dispute. 

But what really upsets health workers is hearing officials from the premier’s office telling the media that the province is managing. “They are not being honest with the public,” said the doctor.

When asked what needs to happen, doctors are unclear. They want recognition of the crisis, a government that shows in action that it is moving might and main to help, a united approach across public and private health sectors, the reopening of Charlotte Maxeke and a whole health system approach to responding. 

At George Mukhari hospital in Pretoria, chief intensivist Dr Nathi Mdladla is now prescribing Ivermectin, authorised for controlled compassionate use by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra).

Says Mdladla: “When both patients and healers are despondent and feel overwhelmed, outcomes cannot be good for both. In the last two weeks I feel I have been given hope as my patients are given a fighting chance. Most importantly, I feel emboldened to be giving a legal product.” 

Today he told me that “it is now making an impressive difference from morale to outcomes”.

Finally, the doctors we spoke with asked to convey a desperate appeal to the public to realise the seriousness of the third wave in Gauteng and to do everything possible to protect themselves and others from infection. The latest report from the SA Medical Research Council, covering May 2020 to 12 June 2021 (ie a week ago) shows there is already a marked increase in excess deaths in Gauteng; and the total number of excess deaths in the province is getting close to the 30,000 mark. 

This is a far more accurate number reflecting the toll Covid-19 is taking on Gauteng’s health system than the official figure of 11,919 deaths reported by the Department of Health at 17 June 2021.

“There are no beds if you get seriously ill with Covid. The probability is many people will die because we can’t give them the care they need.” 

Many feel that the latest measures, particularly the minimal restriction on alcohol sales, are not drastic enough. One doctor said they will see this weekend whether the restrictions have any impact on the number of alcohol related admissions to hospitals. But he doubts it. DM/MC

Gallery

"Information pertaining to Covid-19, vaccines, how to control the spread of the virus and potential treatments is ever-changing. Under the South African Disaster Management Act Regulation 11(5)(c) it is prohibited to publish information through any medium with the intention to deceive people on government measures to address COVID-19. We are therefore disabling the comment section on this article in order to protect both the commenting member and ourselves from potential liability. Should you have additional information that you think we should know, please email [email protected]"

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