THE old Volkswagen plant in the Neave Industrial Park, Korsten, will be converted into a temporary overflow medical facility within the next few weeks to help Nelson Mandela Bay manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
The planned conversion of the plant, which is currently not in use, is the result of collaboration formed between Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA), the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Eastern Cape Department of Health.
Thomas Schaefer, managing director and chairperson of VWSA, said that once the conversion of the 66 000m² building is complete, the facility will accommodate up to 4 000 beds for patients diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus.
This would also include high-acuity patients who require oxygenation.
“Solidarity is crucial in a crisis and Covid-19 is an unprecedented global threat. Through collaboration we will be able to achieve the position of strength we will need to fight the virus,” Schaefer said.
“VWSA has devoted its time to finding innovative ways in which we can combat the scourge of Covid-19 and prepare the metro to care for those who are infected.
“We are highly appreciative of the financial support from the (German government) as it will help us to continue to offer support to protect our citizens and our country,” he added.
The German government will provide funding of 5.2 million Euros (R107 million) to support the conversion of the plant as well as the procurement of protective gear (PPE) for staff at regional tertiary hospitals, Primary Care Clinics and 49 Covid-19 testing centres. VWSA will also contribute R28 million towards the project and provide project management for the conversion of the facility and management of the procurement of the PPE.
The facility will be completed in phases and handed over to government as the need for medical care in the metro develops, until March 2021.
The first phase is currently ongoing and will take approximately six to eight weeks to be completed.
This process will equip the medical facility to accommodate up to 1 484 patients.
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, said that this facility will give the metro the much needed space and ammunition to fight back against the deadly virus. “We are humbled by this gesture in this time of great need. In a time of great uncertainty, doubt and anxiety, working together as government, businesses, religious sectors, traditional leaders, civic organisations and communities, makes more sense than ever before.
“All of us are in harm’s way and have a role to play in this containment,” Mabuyane added. “The Department of Health will provide a team of dedicated and professional health workers for this facility.
“I don’t know where we would be without our health staff and this includes our general workers.”
Mabuyane added that the worst was yet to come, as an increase in the number of positive cases was expected since people were being screened and tested on a daily basis.
“We have decided to go out and look for the virus in the province, rather than waiting for the virus to attack us. We are treating every single case as a hot spot.
“We lock down around that single case and test everyone around to fundamentally disrupt the transmission of the virus,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DA in the Eastern Cape made it clear in a recent virtual meeting that they were not happy with the province’s handling of the pandemic.
DA leader in the Eastern Cape and PR councillor in the Bay, Nqaba Bhanga, said that the province’s overall readiness was a cause for concern.
“The readiness of infrastructure and other systems is a challenge. There is a lack of decisive leadership and no clear process management of systems in the Eastern Cape,” he said.
According to Bhanga, the province should have already tested double the current number of people for the virus. “We are not reaching where we need to. There is also a serious shortage of medical professionals, PPE and testing kits and this cripples our province’s efforts to control the spread of the virus.”
Bhanga also called for the removal of the Eastern Cape Health MEC, Sindiswa Gomba. “For the province to move forward, we need capable professionals to deal with all the challenges that we are facing.”
Mabuyane stated that they had ramped up efforts in the Eastern Cape to fight the virus and had teams in place working 24 hours, seven days a week, at all entry points to the province. “We are not leaving anything to chance. With the mass testing and screening we have embarked on, unfortunately some people will be hospitalised and might need oxygenation.
“This field hospital will help us with that. We won’t be caught off guard and will be ready for the demand for hospital beds.”
He added that provincial government is building new wards at some hospitals, using alternative technology which would be used as quarantine and isolation sights.
“We will be providing about 500 beds per district throughout the province, over and above what VWSA has done this side.
“We understand that our healthcare system has been fragile and we are trying to improve it,” Mabuyane said.
