A Free State hospital has been given a much-needed boost with hundreds of sanitisers, surgical face masks and gloves donations to help it deal with possible Covid-19 cases.

The Parys Hospital is now also able to rollout an outreach Covid-19 programme and limit the number of people coming to its facility thanks to donations made by the De Beers group. The donations came at a time when leasing labour union in the public health sector, National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) had raised concerns with regards to the dire shortages of protective equipment at public hospitals across the country.

Nehawu launched an urgent legal action at the labour court in Johannesburg this week against government in an effort to compel it to protect its members on duty and at risk of contracting Covid-19. Nthabiseng Malinga, CEO of the hospital, said the equipment received last week would be shared with other clinics from the neighbouring towns, including Koppies, Edenville, Vredefort and Heilbron.

"As a hospital, we are applying the principle that we limit numbers coming to the hospital, but we rather get on an outreach initiative to possible Covid-19 infected patients out there so the donation has assisted us to be able to fulfill this activity," Malinga said.

Malinga confirmed that workers at the hospital had been anxious, sad and worried as they were concerned about contacting Covid-19, but the donation has managed to plant smiles back on their faces.

She added: "We are able to make more home quarantine packs which we use when we go visit patients and those who they may have come into contact with.

"She said the items donated included aprons and thermometers which would be used during the screenings. Lebogang Mphaka, De Beers' Voorspoed Mine corporate affairs manager, said the mine had partnered with the Ngwathe Local Municipality to offer aid to local communities amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. She said as part of the mayoral Covid-19 community support programme, the mine donated and delivered the protective equipment and 300 litres of sanitisers to the hospital and also the emergency medical services in the area.

“The outpouring of the provincial solidarity and support sparked by this shared global challenge has been phenomenal," Mphaka said.

Joey Mochela, the municipality's executive mayor said: "With the material delivered by De Beers mine... our collective effort in both awareness and rapid response to the pandemic, shall be another partnership in the best interests of our society, particularly the less privileged, as these are the people who continue to depend on our public health facilities."