The Thusong Multipurpose Center in Khayelitsha which will serve as a Covid-19 site in Cape Town. (Brenton Geach, Gallo Images)
- The Western Cape is looking to hire more than 5 000 health workers to bolster its battle against the coronavirus as the death toll reached 699 on Saturday.
- This after President Cyril Ramaphosa said “money isn’t a problem” when it came to saving lives.
- Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo says 4 004 of the 5 272 vacancies are for doctors and nurses.
The Western Cape government is advertising 5 272 posts for health workers, with 4 004 of them being for doctors and nurses ahead of the anticipated deluge of coronavirus patients.
By Saturday, Premier Alan Winde stated, 1 082 infected people were in hospital, with 226 of them in intensive or high care units.
The province had 11 071 active Covid-19 cases, with 29 136 confirmed cases and 17 366 recoveries by 13:00.
Since the first case was confirmed in the Western Cape on 11 March, 699 people have died.
It has opened field hospitals, such as the one at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, in anticipation of a spike in cases.
Now that SA president himself confirmed “money isn’t problem… national treasury will provide resources to WC”, we can now advertise staff. Based on potential beds to come, @WestCapeHealth need total of 5272 staff (4004 are Drs&Nurses). GPS, Interprovincial secondment all wlcome pic.twitter.com/4JkVe4XVw0
— Dr French Mbombo (MPL) (@nomafrench) June 6, 2020