1. Yes, I have been informed about the said patient, including why she was admitted I have also been informed that the patient received adequate medical treatment whilst she was in the tent.
I wish to raise my concern regarding exposing patient’s names and conditions I as in the public domain as in the Department of Health we are bound by the patient-doctor confidentiality, however I wish to respond as follow regarding the context of patients being admitted into the tent is as follows:
- The response to the COVID-19 pandemic at Steve Biko Academic Hospital wanted additional infrastructure to manage the COVID-19 suspected and confirmed patients and limiting risk of exposure to patients who were confirmed to be virologically negative.
- Tents are well ventilated and fully equipped as wards. This was the immediate response to the then rapidly progressing pandemic, where semi-formal structures were erected.
- The semi-formal structures added an additional 30 beds to treat the COVID-19 patients and remedy the challenges with space and enabled Steve Biko Academic Hospital to as far as possible, continue with rendering the non-COVID-19’s highly specialised services and not to utilize the regular patient beds to accommodate person under investigations (PUIs).
- Tents have enabled Steve Biko Academic Hospital to be in the position to successfully manage Priority 1 and Priority 3 COVID-19 suspected patients.
- As with all patients who had respiratory symptoms, the patient in question presented to Steve Biko Academic Hospital and admitted as a person under investigation (PUI) on the 22/05/22 and was admitted to Ward 8.2, gynaecology ward on the 24/05/22 where the patient subsequently demised on the 25/05/2022 at 11h35min.
- The details regarding the detailed treatment of the said patient are available and will not presented here as these are deemed confidential as per patient doctor confidentiality.
2. No, I will not make any statement regarding this matter, this to maintain patient-doctor relationship in accordance with health care professionalism. The matter was raised as a complaint and the prescribed complaints management processes were followed. The patient received an optimal treatment for her condition.
END.