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JANSENSVILLE NEWS AND VIDEO - On Saturday morning, angry residents took to the streets of Jansenville to protest about the announced arrival for isolation of a patient with Covid-19 at the local hospital.
On Friday evening, SAWAS hospital CEO Gillian January sent out a message to the members of the Jansenville Joint Operation Committee (JOC) that the hospital would be admitting its first patient with Covid-19, a young man from Aberdeen with no symptoms.
According to the message, “SAWAS is the only hospital in [the municipality] that complies with the readiness to admit at this stage.”
January explained that the general ward for medically ill patients will be closed off for the Covid-19 patient, and assured the members of JOC that protective clothing is available for all staff in the hospital.
No positive cases have been reported in Jansenville at this stage, and residents and staff are concerned about the disease spreading in the town.
Cllr Abraham Arries addressing the crowd. Video: supplied
A large crowd of protesters marched to the hospital on Saturday, wanting to show their support for the clinical members of the hospital staff.
January had admitted in her message that they are anxious.
“The staff tells us that the hospital is not ready to receive a Covid-19 patient,” reported local councillor Abraham Arries, adding that the hospital’s second-in-command had allegedly informed the District Manager of this during a phone call on Friday. “The CEO is in PE, she has not been back to oversee the preparations,” he said.
“We will welcome the patient with open hearts, but only when the hospital is ready,” Arries added.
Aberdeen councillor Willem Säfers has tried to intervene on behalf of the patient’s family, who had originally been told that he would be sent to Midland Hospital in Graaff-Reinet for quarantine. “I understand the frustrations of the people of Jansenville,” said Säfers. “There should be consultation with people in the town if the facility is identified for isolation, and it is the responsibility of local leadership to get the buy-in from the community.”
Säfers is also concerned that members of the municipality’s JOC were not aware that the Jansenville hospital would be used for quarantine. “As far as we knew, Midland Hospital in Graaff-Reinet is the local facility prepared for patients needing isolation- in fact one Covid-19 patient from Aberdeen was quarantined there for two weeks at the beginning of April.” He added that he had contacted the mayor on Saturday, to be told that the matter will be discussed on Monday.
In the meantime, the patient remains in self-isolation at his home in Lotusville, Aberdeen. The Department of Health has not responded to requests for information.
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