The private hospital group, Netcare, says it will assist patients – who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus – and who do not have medical aid, by treating them in its private hospitals.
According to the CEO of the Netcare group, Dr. Richard Friedland will approve patients on a case-by-case basis.
Friedland says they are determined to support the government at this time and to help prevent the virus from spreading further. He said the patients would be treated for free and the Netcare Hospital Group would not make any profit. Friedland says Netcare has so far spent 150 million Rand to get its hospitals ready for cases of the virus.
Friedland believes the situation in South Africa is extremely worrisome due to the high population density in certain areas, and to a significant portion of the population whose immune systems are already vulnerable due to the prevalence of diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis.
Netcare supports the 21-day restriction to make the jump in the number of cases.
