“Unfortunately, we are not admitting new patients at the moment,” she said.
In a statement, Craig Murphy, KZN Netcare regional director, said the origin of the exposure has been traced to a patient who was admitted to hospital via the emergency department on April 4 with a suspected stroke.
He said the patient was risk assessed and screened for Covid-19 symptoms and exposure, even though he was asymptomatic and there were no travel risks associated with him or his family.
“During his hospitalisation, the patient was visited by his general practitioner on the evening of 7 April who mentioned to the treating specialist that he had recently treated him for flu-like symptom on 1 April. The treating specialist requested a Covid-19 test as a precautionary measure, even though the patient was still asymptomatic. At the same time, the patient was placed in isolation as a person under investigation (PUI). The test results came back on 8 April confirming that the patient had a Covid-19 infection.”
Murphy said the hospital had embarked on an extensive contact tracing programme to identify all medical staff who may have come into contact with the patient.
“Health care and other workers who have been exposed to the patient were asked to home-quarantine and self-monitor. Most of the identified contacts have been tested for Covid-19, the remainder of the exposed persons will be tested in the next few days. All potentially exposed patients have also been tested.
“All of these individuals — those working in the hospital as well as patients — who have undergone Covid-19 laboratory testing are regarded as persons under investigation (PUIs) and have been placed in isolation to contain the possible spread of the virus.”
Murphy said management also decided to close the radiology department and that they had employed the services of two independent infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists to assist in investigating the incident.
Netcare's Kingsway trauma unit closed after patient and staff test positive for Covid-19
Image: Google maps
Netcare Kingsway Hospital in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, stopped admitting new patients on Tuesday after it emerged that staff had tested positive for Covid-19.
A hospital receptionist told SowetanLIVE's sister publication TimesLIVE on Wednesday morning that the hospital was on divert.
“Unfortunately, we are not admitting new patients at the moment,” she said.
In a statement, Craig Murphy, KZN Netcare regional director, said the origin of the exposure has been traced to a patient who was admitted to hospital via the emergency department on April 4 with a suspected stroke.
He said the patient was risk assessed and screened for Covid-19 symptoms and exposure, even though he was asymptomatic and there were no travel risks associated with him or his family.
“During his hospitalisation, the patient was visited by his general practitioner on the evening of 7 April who mentioned to the treating specialist that he had recently treated him for flu-like symptom on 1 April. The treating specialist requested a Covid-19 test as a precautionary measure, even though the patient was still asymptomatic. At the same time, the patient was placed in isolation as a person under investigation (PUI). The test results came back on 8 April confirming that the patient had a Covid-19 infection.”
Murphy said the hospital had embarked on an extensive contact tracing programme to identify all medical staff who may have come into contact with the patient.
“Health care and other workers who have been exposed to the patient were asked to home-quarantine and self-monitor. Most of the identified contacts have been tested for Covid-19, the remainder of the exposed persons will be tested in the next few days. All potentially exposed patients have also been tested.
“All of these individuals — those working in the hospital as well as patients — who have undergone Covid-19 laboratory testing are regarded as persons under investigation (PUIs) and have been placed in isolation to contain the possible spread of the virus.”
Murphy said management also decided to close the radiology department and that they had employed the services of two independent infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists to assist in investigating the incident.
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