Mendi Provincial Hospital in Southern Highlands Province is under attack by COVID-19 and health workers are strained due to continuous influx of COVID-19 patients.
Unconfirmed reports from within Mendi hospital stated that out of the 1400 people who have been tested for COVID-19 under rapid testing, 550 were confirmed cases. Alarmingly, 11 deaths recorded so far were COVID-19 related with 55 have been admitted in the wards and 35 very ill people are camping in tents outside the hospital, as there is no space in the hospital.
From the 11 that passed on, eight are male and three females but many who have died outside the hospital are not on record.
Meanwhile, 42 hospital staff out of the 300 who had been in contact with COVID-19 patients have contracted the disease. While six of the critically ill were admitted to the hospital, the rest have been isolated and are on home treatment.
Currently the hospital needs more oxygen cylinders and concentrators, blood pressure machines, and PPE for the front line health personnel.
According to sources within the hospital, there is no dedicated facility for COVID-19 within Mendi Hospital, the 12-13 bed dedicated ward is full and patients have been moved to the medical ward.
All medical ward patients have been discharged with medicine supply and now the hospital staff are looking at moving patients into the surgical ward as well.
Normal outpatients have scaled down including all specialist clinics, except for the A&E. Those succumbing to the disease are between the ages of 35-70 years.
Authorities are yet to be contacted for confirmation of the report.