Staff Reporter
On of the districts hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Free State has assured residents it has sufficient hospital beds to accommodate people who may need closer attention when fighting the disease.
Provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi told The Free Stater in a written response that there is no pressure on hospitals in Thabo Mofutsanyana, which continues to record the highest daily figures for COVID-19 in the province, as bed capacity has been increased in line with the growing number of cases in that district.
“These hospitals have increased their bed capacity for more admissions if the need arises,” said Mvambi.
In the latest count, Thabo Mofutsanyana recorded 140 new cases of the coronavirus disease while Mangaung Metro had 84.
There were 38 cases in Lejweleputswa, 16 in Fezile Dabi and 13 in Xhariep.
Mvambi said provincial health authorities encourage people to seek help urgently when they don’t feel well and should not wait until their condition becomes critical.
“The MEC for health (Montseng Tsiu) has continued to urge anyone who feels sick to immediately seek medical attention to avoid dying at home or going to hospitals when nothing can be done to save them,” he added.
An estimated 641 people are currently admitted in Free State hospitals for COVID-19-related illnesses.
At least 67 of them are under intensive care while 70 are on ventilators.
Since March last year, the province now has a cumulative total of 74 413 COVID-19 cases with 62 737 or 84 percent recoveries.
About 2 671 people have succumbed to the disease.
And while more females – about 60 percent or 44 307 – have contracted the disease, more men are succumbing to it.
At least 43 percent or 1 144 of the deaths have been recorded among males.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak early last year, the Free State designated Pelonomi Regional Hospital as the main isolation facility for the province with about 38 beds.
The province only had a total of 114 COVID-19 designated beds and district hospitals were put on standby to be used as isolation centres in the event of a sudden spike of the deadly disease in the province.
Hundreds of other beds have since been added across the province.
Meanwhile, Navalsig Police Station in Bloemfontein and Zastron Police Station have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19 cases.
They will undergo decontamination before they are reopened to the public.