Johannesburg - The Gift of the Givers, a non-profit organisation, will convert an unused wing at an Eastern Cape hospital into a 20-bed Covid-19 isolation facility.
The organisation has been intensifying efforts in the Eastern Cape as infections continue to climb at a rapid rate in the province.
Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman said the facility at Makhanda’s (Grahamstown) Settlers Hospital would also be equipped with oxygen points and high- care isolation facilities.
It will be unveiled on Tuesday.
“The building team arrived on December 5 and completed the R750 000 renovation in one week. The official handover takes place tomorrow at 10am on site.
“Gift of the Givers will also provide the beds, mattresses, blankets, pillows, linen, fridge, microwave and urn.
“The casualty department will receive 16 stretchers to accommodate PUIs (patients under investigation) arriving in their numbers.
“The aim of equipping outlying hospitals is to reduce the number of patients being referred to Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, thus taking the strain off the exhausted health-care workers in the major centres,” said Sooliman.
He said they would be supporting the Willowmore Hospital with 15 additional beds, while they would also provide assistance to the Margery Parkes Hospital in Graaff-Reinet, who have agreed to make a wing available to cater for 20 Covid-19 patients.
“Gift of the Givers has already set up a 120-bed Covid-19 facility at Bhisho Hospital. Construction teams will be arriving tomorrow to carry out a R3 million renovation to provide accommodation for medical professionals to reside on site thus increasing staff availability at the facility,” he said.
Sooliman said a memo between the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape, Trauma Net Ambulance and Gift of the Givers is almost ready having been reviewed by the legal teams.
The memo would see the organisation fund 26 paramedics and six nurses who will provide support to Livingstone Hospital.
“Distribution of PPE's, sanitiser, non-contact thermometers, pulse oximeters, scrubs and dexamethasone (steroids) to various hospitals is ongoing.
“More High Flow Nasal Oxygen machines are being sent to the province to cope with the rising number of oxygen dependent admissions.
“Consumables for these machines are being stockpiled in advance of companies closing for the year end break. A big thank you to the South African public supporting all these initiatives in an endeavour to save lives,” said Sooliman.
IOL