South Africa’s hospitals are quickly filling up, as the country’s Covid-19 infection rate surpasses the 200 000 mark and shows no signs of slowing down, and the country’s district hospitals are no exception.
But experts say these hospitals cannot cope with treating critically ill patients, and they are often hours away from the nearest hospitals that can.
At over 250 facilities, district hospitals make up more than half of the total public hospitals in South Africa. Many are situated in rural areas, already suffering from poor infrastructure and chronic skills shortages……more
Share by Professor Shabir Moosa
Professor Moosa is a family physician in Soweto, Johannesburg. His interests are family medicine, community-oriented primary health care, and health management.