Mkhize: Govt on the ‘offensive’ in fight against Covid-19
Health Minster Zweli Mkhize says a reactive approach by government will not be enough to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Mkhize launched 67 mobile testing units in Johannesburg on Wednesday as part of efforts to flatten the curve of Covid-19.
The National Health Laboratory Services, which previously had seven units, procured 60 new ones in response to the dire need for testing in the country.
The mobile units will enable healthcare professionals and field testers to reach smaller villages and conduct testing on residents who do not have access to the facilities in the country's urban centres.
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"That will move our capacity to about 30 000 tests in 24 hours using approximately 180 testing sites around the country consisting of 360 testing units,” said Mkhize.
"These mobile units will also be used for rapid tests kits when these become available. These will be focusing on people being tested in the communities.”
Mkhize said up to now the government had been testing people who have symptoms of the virus, a method which fails to paint an accurate count of the amount of positive cases.
"Our testing criteria is of patients with symptoms is reactive and restrictive this means we do not have a true picture of the size of the problem.”
He added: "We need to test hundreds of thousands to get a better picture to refine our containment strategy. That's why I say, although we're talking about 47 000 tests, it's still far too low because of the nature of our country, inequalities, as well as the population we are dealing with."
Mkhize says rather than waiting for the patients to come to them they will be going to the patients with the vans.
"The initial strategy was a defensive strategy. Now we are going to go on an offensive strategy where will go find the people with the virus before it even presents itself".