Cape Town – Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Tuesday conducted a visit to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to check first-hand how work was progressing in preparing the site as a temporary hospital.
Once complete, the hospital will provide at least 850 intermediate care beds for Covid-19 patients with milder symptoms. Above each bed a sign reads: "Beacon of hope and recovery".
This is part of the Western Cape government's plans to prepare the healthcare system for the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it said in a statement.
"We are continuously assessing the data available to us about the progression of the virus in the province, in order to respond appropriately. But we simply cannot do this alone," Winde said.
"We require the help of every single person in this province to slow the spread of this virus. When you keep yourself safe, you keep your loved ones safe too. We each have a role to play in saving lives."
The CTICC facility will provide intermediate care, such as the administration of oxygen and physiotherapy, and has facilities for patients whose health may deteriorate while at the facility.
The hospital will be staffed by 987 people, including medical specialists, general practioners, nurses, physiotherapists and administrative and support staff.
The hospital will also have a state-of-the-art digital X-ray machine and will be entirely paperless to ensure the risk of infection is minimised. It will also have a specialised waste removal system to ensure that potentially contaminated waste is cared for.
"One of the things that struck me in the hospital is the sign above each bed which says, 'Beacon of hope and recovery'. We must remember our humanity in this pandemic – each and every statistic is a real person with their own hopes and fears, and family members and friends who love them very much.
"Unfortunately, patients will not be able to see their families or receive visitors while in this hospital, but I was pleased to hear that the hospital will have wi-fi, which will allow patients to video call their loved ones."
The facility has also carefully considered staff safety, with appropriate personal protective equipment for treating patients. The staff showers and change rooms are also housed on a separate floor, so that they can shower and change before leaving the facility.
"The completion of the site is on track and will start treating patients in a phased-in approach. It is our hope that this facility really is a beacon of recovery and those entering its doors for treatment receive the care they need so that they can get well and return home."