Looking back, Yolanda Walsh, a registered nurse specialising in critical care, says the second and third waves were horrendous. “That iron suitcase saved my life” – retired nurse reflects on 37 years of service For example, at Tygerberg Hospital we did not de-escalate our normal operations during the fourth wave,” he says. The Omicron wave did not have the impact on health services the way the first three waves had. “Although the numbers remain significantly high, staff are returning to work as they come out of isolation and there is an overall easing of pressure of the health platform. Mark van der Heever, spokesperson for the Western Cape Department of Health, says by mid-January they had 758 active cases of healthcare workers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Below we explore surgery catch-up plans in Gauteng and the Western Cape and ask what is done to address the underlying problem of not having enough ICU nurses.
To make things worse, pre-existing shortages of intensive care trained nurses and other critical staff were exacerbated by healthcare workers themselves contracting SARS-CoV-2 and falling ill or having to isolate themselves. Hospitals in South Africa have been put under immense strain over the past two years as beds were filled with COVID-19 patients and elective surgeries had to be put on hold.
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