COVID-19: Hospitals Face Shortage Of Beds
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has ordered doctors to reduce normal admissions and discharge patients deemed as stable to create room for COVID-19 patients.
This follows a surge in infections since the advent of the third wave two weeks ago, with 58 new admissions on Friday, taking the total number of admitted COVID-19 patients to 314 at various health institutions.
In a notice dated 24 June, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals’ acting clinical director Tsitsi Magure ordered consultants and senior registrars to reclaim wards in the COVID-19 zone of the health institution. She said:
Just to update you on the COVID-19 situation at our hospital, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 positive patients being admitted to our COVID-19 unit. We need to reclaim back the COVID-19 zone to admit the increasing numbers of patients.
All firms should discharge as many patients (non-COVID-19) as possible… OPD [out-patient department] clinics will remain open for review of chronic patients.
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Doctors, according to the circular, were ordered to focus on emergency cases for admissions as the hospital keeps looking for ways to manage the crisis. Said Magure:
With effect from Monday, June 28, there will be no elective lists, only daily emergency lists and trauma lists will be scheduled to operate all patients in the wards in preparation for discharge.
Meanwhile, United Bulawayo Hospital chief executive officer Narcisious Dzvanga on Friday told NewsDay that the number of COVID-19 admissions at the institution was also was rising, but still manageable. He said:
The number of admissions is rising, ranging between five and 10 a day. Overwhelming is not just about cases admitted, but can be multi-factorial, for example, shortage of linen, staff and laundry issues.
We are delighted that Ekusileni will soon start admitting patients this week.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive Solwayo Ngwenya said the situation was also getting grim at his institution.
