No social distancing at some Bay health facilities amid rising infection rate

Social distancing has been a major problem at health facilities around Nelson Mandela Bay — and now several hospital staff in the metro have tested positive for Covid-19.

The lack of social distancing was evident during a visit on Friday to Dora Nginza Hospital in Port Elizabeth, where it became clear that the facility was not enforcing social distancing protocols of  1m between people or screening people as they entered.

It was one of several problems observed.

While some security guards at Dora Nginza were wearing masks,  others were not, and day patients walking into the hospital were not being screened even though this is meant to be standard practice, according to Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba.

Gomba said  everyone who entered a hospital building was meant to be screened and, where a person’s temperature was 38°C or higher, it should be taken more seriously.

“We have equipment to ensure that everyone who enters hospitals is screened,” she said.

“If the temperatures are elevated, then staff are meant to bring out a questionnaire asking about any recent travel and their general health.”

On Saturday, health minister Zweli Mkhize revealed that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in SA had risen to 1,585.

This was an increase of 80 from the previously day.

He said there were now nine confirmed deaths associated with Covid-19 in the country.

On Sunday, Gomba revealed that infections had climbed to 25 in the Eastern Cape from  21 the previous day,  and 12 in the Bay, up from 11, including a total of four nurses and a doctor.

The city had eight cases on Friday and the figure for the province as a whole was 17.

Gomba said more than 50 people had attended a funeral for a nurse in Port Elizabeth the weekend before the lockdown began and, while the specifics of the funeral were unknown, the provincial increase in Covid-19 cases was in some way connected to this event.

“All these new cases coming out of the Nelson Mandela Bay district are either nurses, retired nurses or somehow related to the health industry.”

On Friday, a nurse from Uitenhage, who works at Dora Ngiza Hospital, tested positive for Covid-19 and a Port Elizabeth doctor tested positive last week.

The three nurses among the latest confirmed cases are 32, 50 and 60 years old.

Gomba said the only way for the province to combat the virus was to increase service delivery to communities — in particular, access to clean water.

“We’re also in the process of identifying hot spots and seeing what is needed there to ensure that we beat this virus,” she  said.

While Dora Nginza  is not adhering to the social distancing rule, it has changed its entry and visitation rules, and has also distributed gloves and sanitisers to security staff.

When a Herald reporter visited the hospital, the dispensary room was filled to capacity, with some people spilling into the passage outside.

At Laetitia Bam Day Hospital in KwaNobuhle, zero social distancing was being enforced outside the clinic gates as patients were told to wait while the nurses were in a meeting inside.

A nurse who came to address those waiting outside said: “We receive new information every day and we’re discussing it now.

“You will be helped but please bear with us.”

One patient, who did not want to give his name, was upset.

“We’re told to stand a metre apart but I don’t think some people realise the seriousness of this disease because people are standing on top of each other,” he  said.

At the Nomangesi Jayiya Clinic, a security guard sanitised the hands of everyone entering the premises.

However, there was no social distancing.

At the Rosedale Clinic in Uitenhage, people waited outside the gate, standing close to each other while a health care worker called out their names one by one to allow a limited number of people inside.

Those who came forward to collect their medication were handed it outside the clinic gates.

The Kwazakhele Clinic in Besile Street had shut its doors and was only allowing a certain number of people in at a time.

Upon entering, all patients’ hands were sanitised.

The staff, including clinic committee members, have been giving talks to the public about Covid-19.

At the entrance of the Tshangana Clinic in New Brighton, hands were sanitised and the numbers inside the clinic kept low.

Staff members, including security guards, all wore protective gear.

At the New Brighton Clinic on Thursday, people were standing outside the gates waiting to be seen.

The clinic had shut its gates and was only allowing a few patients in at a time.

But there was no social distancing outside where a nurse was handing out medication.

A 28-year-old woman, who had to get her birth control injection, said she had been waiting outside for hours.

“They keep on calling certain people inside.

“I am not sure if I will be called inside or not,” she said.

At Uitenhage’s Park Clinic, hands were sanitised and people were given gloves, while a health care worker sprayed disinfectant in the waiting area.

Provincial health spokesperson Siyanda Manana said community health workers attached to the department were meant to be educating people about social distancing.

“These health workers work alongside the department, and are meant to monitor and educate people about social distancing,” he said.

“Our security workers are also meant to ensure that this is done.

“With regard to people being given their medication outside the clinics, this is to ensure that there aren’t too many people inside who can bring infection.

“You have people who fetch their chronic medication and by giving it to them outside in an open space, this limits the risk of infection.”

Manana asked for the names of clinics that were not complying and said it would be looked into.

Meanwhile, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) filed court papers on Friday at the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The union said it had decided to go to court amid a mounting number of reports of the government’s failure to provide personal protective equipment and sanitisers to health workers.

The aim was to compel the government to fix this.

Nehawu Eastern Cape secretary Miki Jaceni said the union was looking into the infection of several health care workers in the Bay and one in Mthatha.

“We’re still investigating to see if the employer defaulted here in any way.

“If so, we’ll be representing our members every step of the way,” he said.

“We take what is happening very seriously because as Nehawu we’ll guard against anything that may harm our members.

“We’ve told the department of health that if they don’t provide our members with the necessary equipment, we will go to the high court.

“We’re giving them two days to respond.”

Of the 25 reported infections in the Eastern Cape, the other cases are: the Sarah Baartman District Municipality five, Buffalo City municipality five, Chris Hani municipality one and Amathole two.