Article by: Dumisane Dube
Sixty members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) military health services are expected to commence on Wednesday.
The department of health announced that the country will deploy an army of medical personnel in the commercial hub of Gauteng province to help deal with a surge in coronavirus cases.
Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said the military will assist with mass screening and testing, along with tracking and tracing programs.
Brigadier-General Mafi Mgobhozi says the health personnel will include military medical officers, nurses and Operational Emergency Care Practitioners drawn from the South African Military Health Services.
“At the present moment no member of the SANDF has been deployed. We had a meeting yesterday with the Department of Health and in Gauteng province where we ironed out certain issues. So far I can say that in the afternoon today or tomorrow, we will be able to deploy our members,” stated Mgobhozi.
As it stands, Gauteng is currently the hardest-hit province in the country, accounting for about 60% of cases and averaging about 7,500 new infections daily.
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