Field Hospital Helps South Africa Combat COVID-19

ADF STAFF

The U.S. donation of a $1.4 million, 40-bed field hospital will help health care workers battle coronavirus in South Africa’s North West province. The field hospital was delivered to Mahikeng as the region battles a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The Mahikeng Provincial Hospital previously had only four negative pressure isolation beds, while the new field hospital has 40 beds isolated by negative pressure. In those rooms, air pressure is maintained at lower levels to keep potentially contaminated air from flowing out when a door is opened.

“The donation of this field hospital is timely given that our scientists are anticipating a possible second wave of COVID infections in February,” said Jeanette R. Hunter, deputy director general for primary health care at the South African Department of Health.

Manufactured in the U.S. by Alaska Structures, the field hospital comes with two 2,300-kilowatt generators, as well as toilets, showers and a reception area. It has eight air-conditioning units equipped with high-efficiency air filtration and ultraviolet light systems to control infections.

The hospital was purchased by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) through its Humanitarian Assistance Program, which funds infrastructure, equipment and training to help partner nations handle health and weather-related emergencies.

AFRICOM has donated seven 40-bed and seven 30-bed negative pressure isolation hospitals to African partners. The contribution also helps pay for manufacturer representatives to train and assist each country’s medical and support personnel to assemble, operate and store the hospitals.

In August, AFRICOM delivered $340,000 worth of masks, gloves, medical gowns and sanitizing supplies to the South African National Department of Health. AFRICOM also helped install hand-washing stations valued at $225,000 in the Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

The U.S. has contributed more than $46 million to South Africa since the first COVID-19 infection was confirmed there March 5.

This program follows an earlier one by AFRICOM to donate United Nations Level II field hospitals to four countries for use in peacekeeping operations. In three of those countries — Ghana, Uganda and Senegal — the military has set up and used the hospitals domestically to treat COVID-19 patients.

AFRICOM personnel have continued to offer virtual training during the pandemic to help military health professionals respond to the outbreak.

“We’re still engaged with these countries even though we have a travel restriction right now. The training is ongoing,” said Maj. Mohamed Diallo, an international health specialist with the Office of the Command Surgeon at AFRICOM.

Diallo said the latest training modules are sharing lessons learned from around the world on critical care and COVID-19 patient management. “We are still working with them; we’re engaged with them to strengthen their ability to deal with the pandemic,” Diallo said.