Tygerberg Hospital opened the first field hospital on Thursday April 2.
Health MEC Dr Nomafrench Mbombo said it is the first of 17 “triage and testing” centres to be built across the Western Cape. Similar ones are to be built in Paarl and Mitchell’s Plain. They are part of the Department of Health’s preparation for any “surge” in cases of Covid-19.
People had initially been screened outside entrance 5, underneath Tygerberg Hospital’s ambulance deck. With winter approaching, hospital management felt it was necessary to construct a more sheltered space. “We stress the importance of curbing contact of these cases with other patients at the facility,” said Dr Mbombo.
The temporary facility comprises high-quality, weather-proof marquee-type structures, complete with floors, lighting and access control.
Tygerberg Hospital’s head of General Internal Medicine, Dr Neshaad Schrueder, said the marquee could also be converted into a Covid-19 field hospital, with up to 50 temporary beds, if people could not go home, were in recovery phase or had a milder illness and needed basic care.
Dr Schrueder said the first cases of 37 people came from the Cape Town harbour between Tuesday January 28 and Thursday March 12. Since then they had seen the first cases in South Africa and awareness around the disease had increased.
Dr Schrueder said they had screened 2 194 patients, with 367 being tested and 17 admitted as Covid-19 positive, with two sent to ICU.
Field workers
Dr Mbombo said 10 000 field workers would visit eight communities from Sunday April 5 to screen, test and trace for coronavirus. She said they would begin with high density communities having Covid-19 positive cases. Five of these are in the City metro.
On Tuesday April 7, Bo-Kaap will be visited because two cases of local transmission of the virus had been reported. Others are Town2 and Ilitha Park in Khayelitsha, Happy Valley, Mitchell’s Plain, Klipfontein Philippi and Bishop Lavis Tygerberg.
Dr Mbombo said the field workers are nursing staff already working in the area and known to many in the community. They will go door to door asking people if they feel well.
Dr Mbombo said these field workers can be identified by their clothing, they will have identity documents and will be carrying forms, she said. They will also be accompanied by local ward councillors and or community leaders.
Dr Mbombo said those feeling ill and meeting criteria for the virus will be referred to local clinics or mobile clinics for testing. People who are infected with coronavirus, but who have no or moderate symptoms will remain in isolation at home or at a facility provided by government and those with severe symptoms will be transferred to hospitals.