Durban - Health Minister Zweli Mkhize encouraged people to attend hospitals and health-care facilities across the province should they present any flu-like symptoms as KwaZulu-Natal prepares to face its peak in the coming weeks.
Mkhize said he expected KZN to “peak higher” than the Western Cape as soon as next week.
Speaking at a media briefing shortly after an oversight visit at Clairwood Hospital, south of Durban on Thursday, Mkhize said he needed the province to be prepared for the worst.
Mkhize is on a two-day visit to the province to establish its state of readiness after he noted that KZN was the only province yet to reach its peak in the country.
KZN has the third-highest number of positive Covid-19 cases in the country, after the Western Cape and Gauteng.
“My expectation is that KwaZulu-Natal will have more cases than the Western Cape by next week. I am here for these two days to assess the province’s readiness for that surge,” Mkhize said.
According to the latest statistics, Mkhize said the Western Cape had recorded a total of 98599 cases by yesterday, while KZN recorded a total of 90150 cases.
He said the Western Cape’s statistics were beginning to plateau, while KZN had yet to reach its peak.
“We cannot say how the virus will behave. It’s dynamic and unique to each area. We learnt this from the Western Cape,” Mkhize said.
He projected that by the end of the peak, the highest number of infections would remain in Gauteng, followed by KZN and then the Western Cape. However, he did not rule out the possibility of a second wave of infections hitting the country.
He said the department and experts anticipated large numbers of infections in Gauteng and KZN due to the population size and density in settlements.
“The Western Cape did surprise us. It should not have bolted earlier but it did show us that the cluster infections happened in retail stores and food and medical manufacturing plants.
“Although there were cluster infections in KwaZulu-Natal, like at St Augustine’s Hospital, it was managed well,” Mkhize said.
After visiting Edendale, Richmond and Clairwood hospitals yesterday, Mkhize said he was pleased with the work being done at state facilities in the province. He said there were a number of beds available.
He added that the alcohol ban also assisted in reducing the pressure on trauma units and ICUs.
“The number of patients and fatalities are increasing in KZN and we want people to go to our facilities for proper care. If you have symptoms, don’t just sit at home. Go to the hospitals, get tested and if you’re admitted, don’t rush to be discharged.
“We have the facilities, we have the space and beds,” Mkhize said.
Following the suspensions of senior managers at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg after an elderly man died in a makeshift “ward” in the hospital’s parking lot this week, Mkhize sent a stern warning to hospital managers and senior staff that incompetence would not be tolerated.
The Mercury