MEC Madoda Sambatha on COVID-19 Coronavirus cluster outbreak at Witrand Hospital

Media Statement by North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha on the COVID-19 Cluster Outbreak at Witrand Hospital

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

I have convened this press conference to brief you on the findings of the COVID-19 cluster outbreak here at Witrand Hospital. 

This hospital services intellectually disabled and psychiatric patients.  The total number of beds is 889 with 720 beds for intellectually disabled and 154 psychiatric and 15 physical medicine and rehab.

I have established that on the 17th of March 2020 the hospital management cancelled temporary leave of absence for patients and a notice was circulated to Hospital Board members to closely monitor the spread of the coronavirus and due to vulnerability of patients.  No patients left Witrand Hospital to date, visitation was cancelled and limited to discharged patients and family only.  A Task team inclusive of labour was established to discuss COVID related issues.  Weekly Task Team Meetings have been held and updates and guidelines shared with all staff members.  Management have conducted staff support visits in an effort to allay fears and anxiety and to emphasize appropriate use of PPE and social distancing.  Psychological support was established for staff in need of debriefing. 

The Department took a decision to conduct a proactive survey between 15 and 16 June targeting only Ward 3 and Ward 4.  Prof Luke then engaged the NICD and NHLS with the aim to fast-track this once-off baseline testing (surveillance) to determine the extent of the problem and this was explained to staff that it is a once off.

It is important to mention that already at this stage two patients from ward 03 and ward 04 tested positive from the initial testing done by the hospital.

Samples were then taken from 238 people made of 202 and 36 staff members.  This was prompted by the nature of patients and inability to maintain social distancing and wearing of masks.

The results show that 100 patients tested positive while 6 staff members also tested positive.  Out of 100 patients who tested positive, 81 are from ward 03 and 19 from ward 04.  From the 6 staff members, two stay in Gauteng and travel between the two Provinces.  Gauteng Province has been informed in this regard.  

I can confirm that PPE is available and monitored for any stock outs according to operational requirements.  To this effect frontline workers are provided with face shields as an extra precaution measure.  The hospital continues to conduct in-house trainings which is done by the Infection and Prevention Control (IPC) specialist nurse who is trained by the NICD.  A specialist physician and partners are also supported to create awareness on  COVID 19 related issues. 

The first case of the hospital was on the 10th June 2020 first case was confirmed (Index case).  Following this first case, Heads of various Departments in the hospiital, the task team members and ward 03 staff members were all informed of the Index Case.  Line listing of the index case commenced immediately and was followed up according to the guideline for symptom monitoring and management of essential workers for COVID-19  related infections. Among the contacts were some of the employees who then tested privately and results were communicated to management.  Eight (8) of the employees that tested privately by 14th June 2020 tested positive and it created anxiety amongst staff. 

We have resolved on the following steps for management, intervention and way-forward:

  • Clinical Management:
    • Separate the patients who are tested positive from the patients who are tested negative in the different wards
    • Patients tested negative are still contacts and will be monitored for symptoms and tested if they become symptomatic
    • All the patients tested positive are asymptomatic now and will be managed appropriately if they develop symptoms
  • Ethics Committee:
    • An ethics committee will be formed under the Clinical Manager to make clinical decisions on the care of the patients who becomes symptomatic with COVID
  • Facilities for Care:
    • A 55-bed isolation ward will be prepared with supply of oxygen as a matter of urgency.
    • For patients that need to be transferred to other facilities, treatment sites in Potchefstroom, Tshepong and Westvaal Hospitals will be utilised
  • Outbreak response team
    • Will function under the CEO and will have two members each from the Hospital Board and Labour
       
  • Management of family and contacts
  • All families to be informed individually  by the clinical management team of the test results and clinical management plan
  • Daily update to families on progress as visiting the affected patients will be restricted to prevent spread of infection
  • Contact tracing will be continued on newly confirmed staff with covid-19 infection
     

We will also make sure that a risk assessment of the entire facility will be done with the assistance of NICD which may involve testing of other staff members and patients in the other wards.  Management is also urged to make sure that staff working in an allocated ward is not shifted to other wards to prevent staff-to-staff transmissions of COVID.

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