The organisation got involved at the end of November with the R750 000 renovation of a disused wing at the hospital on the 5th of December and this has now been completed.

"Gift of the Givers will also provide the beds, mattresses, blankets, pillows, linen, fridge, microwave and urn. The casualty department will receive 16 stretchers to accommodate PUI's (patients under investigation) arriving in their numbers," said Founder, Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman.

He said this was one of several interventions at outlying hospitals to help reduce the pressure on health facilities in Nelson Mandela Bay.

"Willowmore Hospital has agreed to increase its capacity by another fifteen beds. They have oxygen points.
Gift of the Givers will provide the beds and any additional support required," Sooliman added.

He also said that the Margery Parkes Hospital in Graaff-Reinet had agreed to make a wing available to cater for twenty Covid-19 patients with the organisation providing the necessary support, while a 120-bed Covid-19 facility has been set up at Bhisho Hospital.

"Construction teams will be arriving tomorrow (Tus) to carry out a R3 million renovation to provide accommodation for medical professionals to reside on site thus increasing staff availability at the facility," he said.

Sooliman said the Memorandum Of Understanding between Eastern Cape Health, Trauma Net Ambulance and Gift of the Givers is almost ready having been reviewed by the legal teams and 26 paramedics, funded by Gift of the Givers, will provide support to Livingstone Hospital.

He thanked the South African public for supporting all these initiatives in an endeavour to save lives.

Algoa