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The South African Medical Association said the measures announced on Monday to curb the second wave of the coronavirus would provide much-needed relief for overworked healthcare workers and facilities.
SAMA was commenting on the Cabinet’s decision to return to the country to an “adjusted” level three lockdown due to the increasing numbers of cases across various provinces.
Chairperson, Dr. Angelique Coetzee, said the new measures must, however, go hand in hand with increased delivery of personal protective equipment to hospitals, as well as the immediate filling of all vacant medical posts in public hospitals.
"We are broadly happy with these measures. One of our concerns is the impact of COVID-19 and the new variant 501.V2 on hospitals and hospital workers,” Dr. Coetzee said.
She said SAMA was also grateful that the president acknowledged the courage of these workers on the frontline, and the enormous sacrifices they make every day.
However, Dr. Coetzee said in addition to extending curfews and limiting numbers at gatherings, the professional needs of these workers must be addressed urgently.
SAMA said it has also noted the president’s remarks in relation to the delivery of the vaccines in the second quarter of 2021, as well as its decision to run parallel discussions directly with pharmaceutical companies.
“There is a lot of detail still to be clarified around the regulations, the publication of which we await with keen anticipation. As we’ve noted here, these regulations must be enforced, and there must be a clear focus on providing healthcare workers across the country with the necessary tools to perform their jobs,” concluded Dr. Coetzee.
