Khayelitsha Thusong Centre (Field Hospital) admits its last patients today

As part of the Western Cape health response plan for the COVID-19 pandemic peak of transmission, three Intermediate Care Facilities were opened, with another one scheduled for opening on 12 August in the Cape Winelands (Sonstraal Hospital).   

These additional facilities have had a significantly positive impact on the acute hospitals and have relieved the pressure in our acute hospitals such that the occupancy in our acute hospitals has been manageable.   

The first of these facilities to open on 1 June 2020 was the 60-bed Khayelithsa Thusong Centre, which was sponsored by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The facility played an invaluable part in admitting 241 patients who required medical care. MSF have been an amazing partner in this response, and have provided a wonderful service to the people of Khayelitsha. "The Western Cape Government’s response to the pandemic has significantly benefited from their active involvement and support. Specifically, the Kayelitsha District Hospital benefited from this extra resource to ensure that they could cope with the Covid-19 patients," said Dr Keith Cloete, Head of Health in the Western Cape.      

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a flattening in some of our key indicators of infections in the Western Cape, while increases are seen elsewhere in the country.  

In the Khayelitsha area where MSF have been supporting the COVID response, the number of new cases have decreased over time. On 1 July 2020, Khayelitsha had 625 new cases who tested positive for COVID-19 over the preceding 7 days compared 118 new cases over the preceding 7 days on 1 August 2020. Similarly, from 29 May 2020 to 4 June 2020, 46 deaths due to COVID-19 in Khayelitsha were confirmed compared to the period 31 July to 6 August 2020, when 15 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 in Khayelitsha were recorded.  

MSF will now extend their support to other provinces where the need is bigger. The last new admissions to the facility will be on 7 August with those patients who will still be in the facility on 11 August being transferred to Brackengate or Khayelitsha Hospital as our acute platform has sufficient capacity available.     

"We knew from the start it would require a Whole of Government Approach in managing this pandemic, and the proactive support we received from institutions such as MSF, will have a lasting legacy in the Western Cape," Dr Cloete concluded.