Health
(1) What is the state of the Western Cape health facilities at the moment as far as coping with COVID-19 cases and other health-related issues;
(2) whether her Department has plans to expand these facilities or are they deemed to be adequate; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. The service platform is still maximally geared to deal with Covid-19 for to successfully navigate the peak service demand.
Specific detailed plans will be developed during the month of July 2020, on how to scale up non-COVID services, as from August 2020.
Chronic disease management (Diabetes, Hypertension, etc.), HIV and TB management, Child and Women’s health to be scaled up systematically via Community Health Workers and primary care services, as part of community oriented primary care (COPC), focused on citizen-centred service delivery, along the life-course (as part of VIP 3 – Empowering People).
The systematic re-introduction and scaling up of elective surgery, over the next 8 months, considering the COVID reality for the next 12-18 months.
The recovery of the health care delivery system to reach pre-COVID levels of performance, may be a 3-5 year endeavour, which requires a Whole of Society (WoSA) commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Infrastructure delivered/in progress:
Intermediate care facilities:
• CTICC = 862 beds (commissioned)
• Brakengate = 338 beds (to open 10th July)
• Thusong Centre, Khayelitsha = 60 beds (commissioned)
• Sonstraal Hospital = 150 beds (to open in phases: 63 beds in July)
Testing and Triage Centres: 19 Temporary Structures have been completed for Triage & Testing at prioritised health facilities with an addition 15 in construction and a further 4 in planning phase.
2. Though the system remains under pressure our hospitals still have beds available and we are able to manage infections and admissions satisfactorily. The intermediate facilities are valuable in ensuring diminished pressure on our acute hospital beds and facilities. The CTICC facility has allowed the Department to decongest the acute hospital platform by admitting patients from acute hospitals across the Cape Metro. The Brackengate intermediate care facility will similarly allow us to decongest the health service platform.
The Department has also launched a patient-facing WhatsApp channel to assist and support patients with access to chronic medication delivery, existing appointments and confirming patient details. This is currently being used and continue to form part of the service delivery initiatives
