SA won’t run out of hospital beds, vows Mkhize
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says the government is in discussion with the private sector to ensure that no South African is denied hospital treatment for Covid-19.
Mkhize was speaking after a site tour at the Sonstraal field hospital in Paarl in the Western Cape.
He revealed that the cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country has risen to 35 812.
This is an increase of 1455 compared to Monday.
Mkhize vowed that all Covid-19 patients will be provided with hospital beds.
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"There will never be a situation where the government facilities will run out of hospital beds, but the private sector has beds. It will never happen like that.”
Mkhize added that everyone would be afforded the same treatment at every hospital.
"We will use the beds in private hospitals, we have agreed on that. There will also be one protocol for the patient.
"So there's no such a thing as this one will be treated differently because they come from a public hospital or they are from a poor community. Everybody is going to get the same type of treatment."
Mkhize admitted that he issue of pricing still needs to be discussed.
"Between the national department and the hospital associations, our discussions is going to be about the price. How much are we prepared to pay?
"Once we sort that out, we will move out of the way of the provincial department which will then negotiate hospital to hospital."