Cape Town - Private health-care institutions are ready to assist public hospitals to help combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Melomed spokesperson Shameema Adams said: “Melomed prides itself by complying with its constitutional responsibility in terms of section 27 of the Constitution, in that Melomed hospitals have and will always provide emergency treatment to all persons who present themselves at our emergency units.
"We have been in meetings and consultation with the provincial Department of Health and after due consultation, the necessary arrangements have been made whereby Melomed hospitals would be available, if we have capacity, to admit patients referred by the Western Cape Department of Health.
“We are glad that the Provincial Minister of Health, MEC Nomafrench Mbombo, has suspended all the necessary regulations regarding private hospitals during the pandemic period," she added.
"Melomed hospitals can without permission add the necessary required beds to assist Covid-19 patients."
Netcare chief executive Richard Friedland said: “Netcare is working with government and all other stakeholders to assist in containing the pandemic, and we have offered our assistance to the National Department of Health with regard to public sector patients on a cost recovery, not-for-profit basis.
"Should the government request our assistance, we have a national joint operations centre which will co-ordinate and manage all logistical arrangements, on a case by case basis.”
Mark Peach, spokesperson for the Hospital Association of SA said it could not instruct private hospitals to assist those in the public sector and that individual hospital groups make their own determination regarding these matters.