Fifty-two health care professionals deployed by the South African Military health care unit are expected to arrive in Port Elizabeth on Sunday to assist the Eastern Cape in the fight against COVID-19.
This comes in response to the Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s request for government intervention, in a bid to curb the rapid increase of infections across the Eastern Cape.
SANDF spokesperson, Ronald Maseko says the deployed military professionals will based at Dora Nginza hospital in Port Elizabeth which is one of the hardest hit hospitals in the province.
“These healthcare providers will leave Pretoria on Sunday and will be in the Eastern Cape at Dora Nginza hospital for the duration of the fight against corona virus as may be required by the provincial corona virus command council.”
“The South African Military health care will be sending about 35 military nurses, 12 doctors and 5 clinical associates which will be then assisting the provincial department of health with the COVID-19 protocols that may be required in the Eastern Cape. “
In this video below, Eastern Cape coronavirus cases surpass 30 600:
On Friday, the province registered 397 deaths and more than 26 000 infections with 12 000 recoveries.
Beefing up capacity is critical and Mabuyane said this will go a long way in the fight against the coronavirus.
With more learners expected back at schools next week, the provincial Education Department is concerned about the high infection rates in schools.
Education MEC Fundile Gade said they have engaged the national department with the view to halt the process.
In this video, SADTU proposes that Eastern Cape schools close until August:
