South Africans need total change of behaviour to beat Covid-19, warns SA Medical Association
South African Medical Association (SAMA) chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee says South Africans will need a complete change of behaviour for non-pharmaceutical Covid-19 interventions to work.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address the nation on Monday evening on measures the government will implement as part of efforts to curb the second wave of infections.
There is a growing concern over rising Covid-19 numbers, especially in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Amid speculation that government could tighten restrictions, Coetzee says she doesn’t believe that would be the best course of action.
“The measurements and regulations that are in place should be effective, they just need to be enforced from the government side. And from the side of the ordinary people, we need every person currently staying in our country to take responsibility for their health by doing the right thing. People need to take responsibility for their own behaviour, we need a total change of behaviour for non-pharmaceutical interventions to work,” she says,
Coetzee says the ministerial advisory committee should embark on a Covid-19 public awareness campaign to ensure behavioural change.
“There is a ministerial advisory committee that was established at the beginning of Covid-19 in June to advise the minister of health, but we haven’t seen them out in the public looking at social behaviours. My question will be what are they doing to ensure that the public adhere to regulations.”
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She does, however, believe a stricter curfew will help reduce social gatherings.
“Social gatherings, especially in a four wall surroundings. should be discouraged as much as possible. People must be out in the open if you want to go to a church go to an open church, and if you want to braai with the family braai in an open environment.
“What we are saying is that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the necessary department should enforce regulations, They should put in place a curfew from 10 pm until 6 in the morning.”
Coetzee warns that the second wave of infections is likely to be worse.
“The challenge is that most medical practitioners are going on leave and there is going to be a problem on staff morale. The government might not have learnt anything from the first wave and we haven’t seen the urgency to employ more people. And we have seen that they say they do not have any money.”
