Residents have expressed concern about the delivery of essential services since the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last Monday about the 21-day national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
The lockdown started on March 26 at midnight and will last until midnight on April 16.<\/p>
The GCN spoke to Bertha Gxowa Hospital CEO Dr Arthur Manning about how the hospital will be operating during the shutdown and what precautionary measures have been put in place to curb the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirstly, people need to remain calm.<\/p>
\u201cWe have made arrangements as the hospital to ensure we protect our staff and people who come to the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe screen people who think they might have come into contact with someone positive and also screen those who might have signs.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we urge people to come in to get tested when they see symptoms,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot test everyone, but we will not turn people away when they need our help.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have also allocated isolation rooms for patients who display symptoms of the Covid-19 virus, where they will be tested and quarantined before being sent to a hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hospital has cancelled all visiting hours, except for mothers with admitted babies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the lockdown, we will be allowing only emergencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese precautionary measures are important for the safety of our staff and patients,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important people adhere to these restrictions because we want to limit the number of unnecessary walk-ins into the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cOperations that are not life-threatening will also be put on hold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will only do those that are life-threatening,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n
The hospital has set up sanitisation stations at all its entrances.<\/p>\n
It has also been using the TVs in the waiting areas to educate people about the virus and how they can protect themselves.-<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have trained all staff members to know how to handle a potential Covid-19 case, as well as a positive case.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that we are prepared to deal with any case,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n
He urged residents to first start at the clinics when in need of medical assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage people to start at the clinics if they are not feeling well.<\/p>\n
\u201cClinic staff have been trained how to conduct testing,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n
The hospital will also limit the movement of staff during the lockdown as a way to curb the spread of virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will try to make the necessary arrangements for staff to minimise their movement,\u201d said Manning.<\/p>\n
For more information and updates on Covid-19 and the hospital during the lockdown visit the hospital\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n