ts number of critical care beds.
Based on figures from around 2013, there were 4 957 critical care beds in the private sector and 2 238 in the public healthcare sector, he explained, while occupancy in state hospitals was around 80%, with about 50% of critical care beds available for use in private hospitals.
Based on these figures, less than 3 000 critical care beds are theoretically available for use nationally.
Van den Heever said about half of that – 1 500 – were intensive care beds, which were necessary if a patient needed to be on a ventilator full-time.
READ | Alex van den Heever: We have not ‘flattened the curve’ and our current trajectory is very concerning
