Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Acting Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo will on Monday receive the first set of ventilators procured by the Solidarity Fund.
The handover will take place at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.
Last month, the Solidarity Fund approved funds towards the purchase of critical healthcare equipment for the public hospital system in the hotspots of Gauteng, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
This was in response to the expected surge in hospital admissions caused by COVID-19 that was predicted to peak in late August.
Funds were approved for the local production of 20 000 non-invasive ventilators.
In the video below, the Solidarity Fund’s strides in the fight against COVID-19:
The National Ventilator Project is currently organising the manufacturing of ventilators to assist patients infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19). South Africa remains among the top five countries with the most infections in the world.
As the country surpassed the 600 000 mark in COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, the office of the Presidency says additional facilities, equipment and personnel are being deployed in provinces still experiencing an increase in infections.
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel recently announced that the first batch of locally manufactured ventilators came off the assembly line this week, to assist patients struggling to breathe after being infected with the virus.
South Africa’s recovery rate stands at 68% and government says hospitals are prepared to manage a further influx of patients.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa:
#COVID19 Statistics in SA as at 23 August. pic.twitter.com/Em9JHa9daC
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) August 23, 2020
As of today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases is 609 773, the total number of deaths is 13 059 and the total number of recoveries is 506 470. pic.twitter.com/Yq1E7k4Vgk
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) August 23, 2020
