Hospital beds shortage for very ill Covid-19 patients a possibility, actuarial body warns
SA is not equipped to deal with a sudden surge in the number of patients requiring acute care, so it was vital to slow the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible
18 March 2020 - 12:23
At least one-million people might require acute hospital care if there is sustained community transmission of Covid-19 in SA, according to projections by an expert from the Actuarial Society of SA (Assa).
The forecast raises the spectre of a looming shortage of beds for critically ill patients, as only about 1,000 of the 85,000 beds in the public sector are set aside for intensive care, according to Assa member Shivani Ranchod, CEO of Percept Health...
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