News24 reports that Tembisa Hospital in Johannesburg has no Covid-19 patients for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

The hospital discharged its last two Covid-19 patients over the weekend. Hospital chief executive Dr Ashley Mthunzi said staff were elated about the development. "Tembisa is situated in one of the fastest-growing areas in Gauteng. For Tembisa to experience this, it has to say something about how we are moving as a country and as a province. Without any doubt, the vaccine helped," he noted. The hospital admitted its first Covid-19 patient on 25 March last year. To accommodate Covid-19 patients, it repurposed two orthopaedic wards and a surgery ward. Reflecting on the hospital's Covid-19 experience, Mthunzi said the third wave of infections had hit the hospital the hardest. He added that the hospital was on high alert to see what impact municipal election rallies would have on case numbers in the next few weeks. But for now, the hospital will concentrate on backlogs after resources were diverted to Covid-19. In preparation for a fourth wave, the hospital is preparing to build a 300-bed ward for Covid-19 patients. "We are replacing tents with a prefab structure, and that will restore dignity for our patients. We are on guard to make sure there is availability of medication and ventilators. We are ready for the fourth wave," Mthunzi indicated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24

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