The World Health Organisation (WHO) will be sending 43 senior experts from across the globe to South Africa. The first 17 experts will arrive in South Africa sometime on Wednesday and will complete a period of quarantine and initiation before being deployed in the department and other provinces.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says that the WHO agreed to the request for their reinforcement as the national COVID-19 response is being implemented.
Dr. Mkhize made the announcement while briefing the media on Wednesday morning.
South Africa is currently in the top five of the globe in terms of the highest number of infections and is the highest on the African continent.
The Health Minister says that Dr. Mike Ryan will be leading the WHO team from Geneva and will be focusing on South Africa “and providing constant advice whilst analyzing our strategies including decisions we have taken as the department of health and the country South Africa in our COVID-19 response.”
“We see this as a great opportunity not only to improve our health strategies during this pandemic but also to accelerate our path towards health care reform.”
Mkhize also took the time to acknowledge the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for his continuous support and counsel.
Health care workers safety and PPEs
The Minister emphasised that health care workers remain in the frontline of the battle against COVID-19.
“The Department of health notes with concern increasing allegations of health care workers contracting the coronavirus in the line of duty due to lack or poor quality of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). We have even received reports that some maybe dying after being infected due to the lack of sufficient PPEs or sufficient PPEs not being provided and or failure or neglect by management to adhere to prescribed workplace safety protocols. We want to outrightly state that this cannot be tolerated.”
He has assured members of the public that individuals entrusted with positions of power in health facilities or a district level if they are found to be in dereliction of duty by not ensuring adherence to health protocols appropriate action will be taken against them.
The number of infected healthcare workers is 24 104 and 1 81 fatalities.
In the video below is the full media briefing by the Health Minister:
