Ntsoaki Motaung
Paray Hospital in the district of Thaba-Tseka had 17 healthcare workers on quarantine after they were found with symptoms of Covid-19.
This was revealed by the Nurse-in-Charge Catherine Lebina stating that 14 nurses and three medical doctors that were sidelined from work.
“We suspect that we may have admitted some Covid-19 patients without knowing hence the surge in symptoms. However, none of them has needed intensive care or shown with severe symptoms,” she said.
Lebina said some of the healthcare workers tested for covid-19 on 24 December 2020 but have not yet received their results to date.
“Since our health workers tested on December 24 and they have neither received their results nor begun showing any symptoms, we have decided that they start coming to work,” she said.
“At the hospital we only have six doctors and when three of them have to be off duty, the load becomes too much for the remaining three as they have to work more shifts to cover for those who cannot be at work,” she said.
Lebina indicated however that healthcare workers have to take extra precautions and treat every patient as though they are already positive. She said this is because the delay in receiving results makes it difficult for contact tracing for those who eventually come out positive.
Meanwhile, health ministry Deputy Principal Secretary Lesimole Moletsane cited the main reason for the delay in the issuance of results as the shortage of staff at the National Reference Lab.
There is a backlog of tests that need to conducted at the laboratory because three or four of the laboratory staff have tested positive to covid-19 and that affects the whole process, which is why the release of certificates is affected, she said.
