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TUESDAY 26 May 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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People’s Post
2 COVID-19
The City of Cape Town closed beaches for all activities across the city from Tuesday March 24. Residents are asking if police’s efforts to enforce this type of restriction shouldn’t rather be spent on ensuring Covid-19 health protocols are met. PHOTO: NETTALIE VILJOEN
NETTALIE VILJOEN NETTALIE.VILJOEN@MEDIA24.COM
A
s South Africans gradually return to the workplace and schools, adherence to Covid19 restrictions is more important than ever. Residents, however, are starting to question authorities’ perceived overreach on misdemeanours while breaches in health and safety protocols are seemingly falling by the way. One such Hout Bay resident is Kerri Cross who tells of how she and her child were stopped when they took a drive past the beach. “There were 12 police and law enforcement vehicles plus an army truck on the beach to make sure no one walks there,” she says. But, she says, when a man collapsed on a residential road in Beach Estate on Monday 18 May, it took local authorities over an hour to arrive on the scene. Cross, who runs a 24-hour control room for all emergencies in Hout Bay, says they received a Buzzer alert at 09:26. “Our emergency response was first on the scene followed by the local security companies. The man was coughing up blood and in a terrible state.” Cross says, according to a family member, the man was on his way home from the Hout Bay Commu-
‘Police health protocol first’
nity Day Centre (CDC) in Victoria Road, which he had visited earlier that morning. “On arrival, we called the police and the Metro Ambulance Service. We blocked the road to keep the man and the public safe while waiting for help to arrive,” Cross says. She claims that the Metro ambulance only arrived an hour later. She also claims that the paramedic who attended to the man wasn’t wearing any gloves and that they were reprimanded for closing down the road. “They then put the sick man in the ambulance and took him back to the clinic,” Cross says. Natalie Watlington, the spokesperson for the Western Cape’s department of health, confirms that the patient concerned visited Hout Bay CDC on 18 May. “The patient was at the clinic prior to the incident. The patient was deemed at risk, but not in distress, and following protocol, the patient was requested to be seated in a separately ventilated area overseen by the screening nurse and security while waiting to be tested. The patient refused to wait and left the facility,” Watlington says. Deanna Bessick, the communications officer for Emergency Medical Services and Forensic Pathology Services, admits that the ambulance was an hour late. “At the time of the call, all ambulances were attending other life-
threatening emergencies in the service area. The first available ambulance was dispatched to the scene,” Bessick says. She explains that precaution is always taken when transporting confirmed or possible Covid-19 patients. When transporting patients who are high risk and in a serious condition, the EMS officials attend to the call in full protective gear (A40 suits). When attending to lower risk patient incidents, a mask and gloves are sufficient. “In this instance, the paramedics who assisted the patient was wearing the necessary PPE – mask and gloves – while assisting the patient and the officials provided a cloth mask to the patient,” she says. According to Bessick, upon arrival, one of the EMS officials spoke to the private emergency response team and advised that patient confidentiality and discretion is important. “The official explained to the team that the man was upset and felt discriminated against because of the manner in which he was handled by the private emergency response team and community. The patient communicated this to the EMS officials,” she says. When asked why the decision was made to transport the man to Hout Bay CDC rather than a hospital, Bessick said the patient was deemed at risk, to be monitored and assisted, but not in distress.
Woes of wearing protective masks
4
“When the patient was brought back to the facility by EMS, he was tested for Covid-19,” she says. To ensure adequate responsiveness to Covid-19, all provincial government health facilities have deescalated the services offered to reduce the number of patients visiting the facilities. Watlington says, at present, patients are mainly attending Hout Bay CDC for appointments, baby clinic visits and family planning. “We want to thank the Hout Bay community for only accessing healthcare services when they are sick,” Watlington says. Should patients test positive for Covid-19, they are asked to go home and self-isolate. “If someone cannot safely isolate at home, the health team will refer them to a free isolation facility where they will receive temporary care away from home,” she says. Should patients who are in selfisolation at home feel their symptoms are getting worse, they are advised to contact either the provincial hotline or their nearest health facility for referral for treatment. “Patients who have been referred for testing are urged to do so and to quarantine at home until they have received their results and are advised what to do next. By not doing this, they can infect other people,” Watlington says. V Call the provincial Covid-19 response hotline on 021 928 4102.
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