Provincial health department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, tells OFM News 16 doctors, 90 nurses, 20 cleaners, 18 household aides and 14 clerks are presently employed at the newly established Omolemo Covid-19 ward at the hospital. The hospital was officially launched virtually on Friday, and was named by Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela. The Omolemo Covid-19 ward isn’t the first of its kind in the Free State capital. Last week, the department officially opened the doors of a similar ward at the Universitas Academic Hospital, named the Tumelo Covid-19 ward.

Mvambi previously told media that the ward has a total of 79 beds and is fully equipped with oxygen and medicine to deal with coronavirus patients’ needs. Health MEC Montseng Tsiu addressed those present at the launch on Friday cautioning that the recent jump to lockdown level 2 needs to be closely monitored in the possibility of a second wave of the virus. The restrictions on alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and some economic activity have all been lifted with level 2. 

Tsiu previously stated that they “want to be adequately prepared to respond holistically to any volumes and types of demand for health care services as we enter the surge period which was projected by the Covid19 scientific modelers. We are also preparing for the second wave of the virus whilst exonerating their traditional healthcare needs besides Covid-19. We are now at that point where we can say we have played our part to strengthen the healthcare service to respond to all healthcare needs, including Covid-19”.

The Free State at present has recorded over 13 000 active cases and 567 deaths.

OFM News