It's been a difficult road fighting Covid-19, but Zweli Mkhize writes that since the start of the pandemic, more than 90% of all those infected have recovered thanks to dedicated healthcare workers.
A dozen thoughts were coursing through my mind as we trooped through the Covid-19 wing at the Dora Ngiza Hospital in the Eastern Cape.
Its halls were once just a concept, its operational design and features pieced together carefully and quickly in a boardroom nearby. But during this oversight visit in June, before the anticipated peak of infections, beds were already starting to fill.
"Do we have enough capacity? Does everyone have access to ventilators? How do we get more Personal Protective Equipment to staff? What if we get it wrong?"
The voice of our guide grew distant as these questions started to burn. From the corner of my eye I spotted a small figure hunched over on a bench, her elbows fixed firmly onto her knees to support the palms covering her face. The soles of her feet were vigorously tapping the ground underneath and her blue protective suit looked ruffled and unfitting.
She didn't notice us.
I walked up to her: "What's wrong, Sisi?"
She moved away her hands, unmasking a face full of tears. Her words would stay with me months later:
"We lost another three patients today, Minister. I did everything I could."
It was a feeling I know all too well.
In August, a Covid-19 patient at a private hospital in Durban contacted me directly, saying his condition had deteriorated and that he felt the doctors had been avoiding him. Pneumonia had set in; he had ground glass opacities in both lungs; he was dying in his bed. I understood his desperation.
I immediately called a friend, who is a specialist, to meet with the patient. After a 20-minute observation, the patient was moved to his care at a public hospital and immediately put onto a ventilator. Every morning, I called the doctors treating him for an update, and relayed those messages on to his family.
Every morning for five days until he lost his battle against the virus.
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The effect of Covid-19 can be measured on a macro level - weighing GDP losses, tallying up stock markets and counting the unemployment lines. But it was there, at a provincial hospital on the southern tip of Africa, that the real effect of the virus was made harshly apparent to me.
But on a human level, how do we total our losses this year? How do we measure the value of the thousands of South African lives lost to the pandemic? How do we count the tears of healthcare workers who watched helplessly as their patients took their last breaths - some of those patients being their own friends and colleagues? How do we weigh the mental and emotional strain of being confined to our homes, away from our loved ones?
Many of our people lost their jobs, breadwinners were unable to feed their families. Some of us saw our loved ones for the last time when they were rushed away in an ambulance. As I pen this piece, thousands more are in medical facilities across the country, savouring every breath, fighting in isolation to stay alive.
'We've lost too much'
So, what have we lost then? Far too much.
Five months later, the virus would find its way into our own home. My wife, May, and I tested positive, herself needing to be admitted to hospital for treatment. We were fortunate, suffering less severe symptoms associated with the virus. But the real prosperity came in the hundreds of messages of support we received from family, friends, colleagues and South Africans - this is truly important in one's fight against the virus.
I was reminded then that the true value of life lies within the time spent with those we love, the happy memories we create, and the bonds we share. Covid-19 has shown us, as a species, that everything else is intangible and fickle.
Last month, we returned to Dora Ngiza Hospital.
While the facility and its dedicated staff had weathered the winter spike, a resurgence of infections in the province has now become apparent.
As we walked those same halls, I thought back to the sombre doctor seated on that lonely bench.
But this time I had hope.
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 90% of all those infected have recovered - mostly thanks to our dedicated healthcare workers who have fought tirelessly and selflessly for more than nine months to save lives. Our provincial managers have prevented our facilities from becoming overburdened. Our community leaders have rallied behind campaigns to promote non-pharmaceutical interventions and our people have heeded the call.
Vaccinations due in 2021
We also expect to receive our first batch of vaccinations in the first quarter of 2021, a lot sooner than initially projected.
But as this difficult year draws to a close, we must remember that while there is hope for a brighter future, the threat of Covid-19 still remains - especially during the festive season.
We recently announced that South Africa has entered its second wave of Covid-19 infections, with positive cases spiking in several provinces. This is mainly due to adherence fatigue, where many of our people have neglected the imposing threat of the virus, setting aside face masks, social distancing and hand hygiene practices for mass gatherings, parties and other celebrations as the holiday season begins.
Should this continue, all our sacrifices this year will be lost - and all our losses will be for nought.
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We must find new ways to enjoy this festive season, without putting our lives and those of others at risk. While some of our citizens may be young and less prone to severe symptoms, those that they may involuntarily pass the virus on to may not be as fortunate.
Let us remember that while we enjoy a well-deserved break this month, our healthcare workers remain on the frontlines, away from their own families, trying to keep every patient alive. Our actions make their jobs easier.
While we have all experienced loss in one or other shape or form, 2020 has been a reminder of the essence of humanity, where we as a global community, when confronted with a common threat, can put aside our differences and work toward a common goal.
And defeating this virus remains our common goal. We must, as a society, continue to forge ahead in unison. The battle against Covid-19 is not fought in healthcare facilities; it is fought in our homes, in our neighbourhoods, in our places of work, in our schools, and in our places of worship.
2020 was only the start of our battle. We must continue to persevere.
We must remember the lesson from the first wave: that as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, what is more important is that we have each other. That is what will always make the difference. That is the source of hope.
- Zweli Mkhize is the Minister of Health.
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