SHP records drop in new Covid-19 cases

By PETER WARI

THERE has been a decrease in the number of new daily Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases reported at Mendi Hospital and other health facilities in Southern Highlands, chief executive officer Dr Joseph Birisi says.
He told The National that since Sept 20, more than 1,000 positive cases were detected at the hospital, Ialibu District Hospital and Moro clinic.
The daily cases average peaked around early October and remained for up to three weeks.
Dr Birisi said of the 1,096 cases detected, six per cent of the cases were asymptomatic, 43 per cent developed mild symptoms, 32 per cent developed moderate symptoms and 12 per cent progressed into a severe form of the disease.
“Of the 45 deaths reported, 20 passed away in the care of the healthcare workers, this included a mother who died after delivering her baby,” he said.
“The other 12 died either at home after absconding from the hospital or were brought in as dead on arrival and missed out on the benefit of care by healthcare workers, while the other nine died at the triage tent.”
Dr Birisi said pregnant mothers with the Covid-19 were allocated a room in the post-natal ward to deliver and be kept there until stable before being discharged.
He said as the number of admissions increased, clinical wards were closed and clinical staff were repurposed into the Covid-19 response team.
A full roster was drawn for staff to work on eight-hour shifts.
He said staff who were infected were allowed to isolate for two weeks and returned to work in order to maintain manpower.
He said there was also a plan in place to ask young rural staff to assist at the hospital if the need arose.
Dr Birisi said the province’s ambulance service had also been used frequently ferrying patients to the district hospitals and in Mendi.
He also urged people to get vaccinated at the 15 sites available in the province.

A patient at the screening tent waiting to be tested with
rapid diagnostic test at the Mendi Hospital in Southern Highlands. – Picture supplied