Given the influx of patients, the government announced at the Council of Ministers’ meeting this weekend the demand for Cinquantenaire Hospital to strengthen the reception capacity for patients in Kinshasa, where the Indian variant Delta continues to develop.
as reported from Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
Hospitals are crowded with Covid-19 patients and the authorities are worried. Last Friday, Covid-19 killed 14 people and the suspicions relate to the variant. Twelve people were treated at the treatment centers and two followed care at home.
Council of Ministers in the Council decided that Cinquantenaire Hospital, equipped with 250 beds, must receive more patients. He is also required to do more screening from an average of 500 to more than 2,000 samples per day.
Since the start of the third wave in mid-May, doctors and laboratory technicians have said they have been overwhelmed. In just ten days, according to RFI’s calculations based on official bulletins, 3,500 cases were identified among 15,000 samples taken in the country in ten days. A disc that was never recorded.
For Minister of Health Jacques Mbungani, the situation is worrying. He asks for the purchase of reagents for laboratories and to equip himself with rapid tests and oxygen for Covid-19 patients. At present, only almost 50,000 people have been vaccinated despite a strong awareness campaign. The government announces the imminent arrival of about six million doses of Pfizer, Sinovac and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, in the hope that the population will be less reluctant.
Since the start of the epidemic declared on March 10, 2020 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, only 912 deaths have been registered out of 39,758. The deaths are not that worrying compared to other countries, but authorities say they are vigilant. They have recently taken restrictive measures, in particular against certain companies, urban transport and cultures, to control the spread of the virus.
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