Engo Chief Director, De Wet Claassens, maintains that to date, no employee or caregiver at Ons Tuiste is COVID-19 positive – and only one resident is at this stage. The home has further dismissed allegations levelled against management by disgruntled employees this week, alleging they were only testing permanent caregivers and not contracted ones due to a lack of funds...

According to Claassens, an official from the Provincial Department of Health informed the home that not all staff need to be tested, “only the line listing staff need to be tested,” he says. In an effort to speed up the process, staff underwent testing at a private health facility and those who have been tested are now self-isolating at home. 

The situation at the old age home became contentious on Wednesday when staff refused to work following the confirmed case. The elderly patient has been a resident since April 2020 and underwent hip replacement surgery in May.

According to Claassens, the elderly resident was admitted to a local private hospital for the procedure on 27 May and was discharged from this private hospital 15 days later. Thereafter she was taken into a rehabilitation centre locally and was only released back to Ons Tuiste last week Friday, as is corroborated by the disgruntled healthcare workers at the facility. Engo management maintains the patient was placed in isolation upon being discharged and was set to remain there over a 14-day period. However, on Monday, the elderly patient fell and was transported to a different local private hospital, where she was found to have contracted the coronavirus. 

The elderly patient remains at that hospital for treatment. Contrary to reports by the healthcare workers, Claassens says the case was reported to the Departments of Health and Social Development respectively on Tuesday.

OFM News