The state hospital was able to reach this feat with the assistance of the South African National Defence Force (Sandf) who have offered the hospital positive end-expiatory pressure (PEEP) machines which play a key role in ventilating patients. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) defines the coronavirus as a “severe acute respiratory syndrome” which is known to - at its worst - cause damage to the lungs, requiring ventilation to help patients breathe. 

The Universitas Hospital's head of surgery and chairperson of the coronavirus task team in the area, Nicholas Pearce, elaborated further on the hospital’s ICU capacity in a media briefing in Bloemfontein on Thursday evening.

The head of surgery acknowledges that the extension of the hospital’s ICU capacity is a huge step “in the right direction. This is under the leadership of Professor Francis Smit from the cardio-thoracic department”. The hospital started off with a 16 bed ICU ward for confirmed coronavirus cases, but the assistance from the military has upped the capacity to a total of 86 ICU beds.

His colleague internist,  Samantha Potgieter, broke down the designation of wards during the outbreak. She says they have a ward cordoned off for suspected coronavirus cases and another for patients who tested positive for Covid-19. The latter is fully equipped with a paediatric facility and a delivery room for mothers who test positive for the virus whilst pregnant. She says the Universitas Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has availed showers for doctors to clean up before going home.

Despite Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announcing a sharp rise in positive Coronavirus cases to 1462, the briefing at Universitas was an optimistic one with Potgieter telling the public “the hospital is ready”.  Pearce on the other end urges South Africans to abide by the lockdown regulations and stay indoors to avoid contracting the virus.

The number of cases in the Free State have risen to 84 as of Thursday evening.

OFM News