Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says a shortage of healthcare workers, a lack of testing kits and funding are constraining the province’s ability to respond optimally to the escalating coronavirus crisis it is facing.
The Western Cape is the epicenter of the pandemic in South Africa with more than 28 800 of the country’s 43 434 infections and 704 deaths.
#COVID19 Statistics in South Africa as at 05 June 2020. pic.twitter.com/8t5Onp0UcK
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) June 5, 2020
As of today, the cumulative number of confirmed #COVID-19 cases is 43 434, the total number of deaths is 908 and the recoveries to date are 23 088. pic.twitter.com/CVvsCBwGkn
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) June 5, 2020
Winde says an additional 5272 healthcare workers are required.
The province’s projections show that it needs over R3-billion in the current year in the Departments of Health, Transport and Public Works alone to respond to COVID-19.
During a visit to the Western Cape on Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa assured the province that funding is not an issue as R20-billion has been allocated towards fighting the pandemic.
He encouraged the province to pull out all the stops to save lives.
In the video below, President Ramaphosa acknowledges Western Cape’s challenges and successes:
