Staff Reporter.
Leratong Hospital in the West Rand has suspended outpatients and elective procedures with effect from Monday, 28 June.
Hospital CEO, Dr DP Moloi, on Friday said urgent cases will be prioritised, and discretion will be used for patients collecting their results.
“Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to extend the national lockdown and the high number of confirmed Covid-19 patients treated at the hospital, Management decided to implement [the] temporary suspension”, Moloi explained.
The temporary suspension would not hinder Covid-19 patients from receiving treatment. Moloi said Covid-19 screening “will be done for everyone accessing [the] premises”.
“Depending on the outcome of the screening, patients will be directed according”, Moloi adds.
Apart from Covid-19 screening, all emergency patients will still receive treatment. The Wound clinic will remain operational as well.
In addition, all orthopaedic, surgical and medical outpatients who are booked to collect medicine will be assisted, and mother-and-children services would still be available.
Dr Moloi calls on the community to be “cooperative and work with the hospital management during this trying period by adhering to measures to minimise the spread of Covid-19”.
Services were suspended at Leratong Hospital back in January as a result of heavy rainfall and floods – frontline areas, the emergency casualty area and X-ray departments were all affected.