Life Healthcare Group is resuming necessary, previously postponed surgeries and other services following the relaxation of the hard lockdown that served to manage the spread of COVID-19.

The Group welcomes the relaxation of the regulations to Level Four and the opportunity to gradually resume certain services for our patients in a safe manner. The resumption of activity will be subject to local capacity, the prevalence of COVID-19 transmission in the area and any locality-specific disaster regulations. Furthermore, Doctors are responsible for managing the criteria and indications for admission of their patients.

When lockdown was introduced in March, Life Healthcare and its admitting doctors decided to reduce activity and admissions to hospitals in preparation for an expected surge in patients with COVID-19 who would require hospitalisation. Surgery which was not urgent was postponed for most patients.

“We did this to support government in an effort to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and we wanted to create capacity to manage the number of patients who would need medical attention as a result of the Coronavirus”, said Dr Charl van Loggerenberg, General Manager: Emergency Medicine at Life Healthcare.

The safety of healthcare workers, employees and patients will continue to be prioritised and the use of Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) will be enforced, in addition to encouraging hygiene practices and social distancing.

All Life Healthcare hospitals will be provided with a step-by-step process on how to gradually and carefully reintroduce normal operations and medical service to patients. The guidance has been based on the input received from numerous doctor professional societies, pathology groups, Hospital COVID-19 Committees, supporting doctors as well as international best practice.

The Group will continually review the situation at each hospital in order to assess the risks as well as to identify and share best practice in the interests of doctors, patients, our employees and supporting service personnel.

Patients can contact their doctors for more information.