First week of Level 3 alcohol sales a major headache for health system

The dawn of the more relaxed Level 3 lockdown regulation on Monday 1 June, saw the lifting of the alcohol sales ban which — within the space of a week — has led to a massive surge of people in hospital emergency rooms with alcohol-related injuries. 

Under the current regulations alcohol may be sold from Monday to Thursday between 09:00 and 17:00 and “thirsty” South Africans were even seen camping out since the early hours of Monday morning to stock up again after a dry lockdown Level 5 and 4 season.

When the regulated alcohol sales resumed on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “We suddenly saw a spike in the utilisation of hospital beds” due to alcohol-related injuries.

Ramaphosa said the government was not contemplating re-banning alcohol, “as yet”.

But he called on “all South Africans to behave in a manner that would take into account the rights of other people…we hope that message will sink in”.

Hospitals take strain under spike in alcohol-related injuries

According to SABC News, the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, in Johannesburg, which is one the healthcare facilities where COVID-19 patients are being treated, has reported an increase in trauma cases since Monday.

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has expressed concern over alcohol-related injuries putting additional strain on the country’s healthcare system at a time when ICU beds are needed for COVID-19 patients.

This was echoed by Tygerberg Hospital’s head of surgery and the trauma unit Prof Elmin Steyn who told TimesLIVE that “alcohol plus COVID-19 massively reduced access to medical care for others”.

Battling staff shortages

The hospital in Cape Town, is also battling with staff shortages, with 293 staff infected with COVID-19, five of whom have already succumbed to the deadly illness.

At another healthcare facility In Johannesburg, the Helen Joseph Hospital, emergency department head Dr Pat Saffy said this past week the hospital was overwhelmed by trauma cases and had to close its emergency room for three nights because it was overloaded with patients.

SAMRC predicts flood of 5 000 patients a week

Trauma specialists said that during the first two months of lockdown, trauma admissions dropped by 70% at hospitals in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Those declines, according to the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), are now being dramatically reversed.

But according to a prediction made by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), 5 000 patients a week will flood hospitals with injuries related to alcohol.

Non-compliance leads to closure of liquor stores

At least 10 liquor outlets in KwaZulu-Natal were closed this week for contravening regulations governing the sale of alcohol.

In a statement released on Saturday 6 June, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the contraventions included failure to close according to new trading times, not ensuring social distancing between patrons or hand sanitising, selling expired liquor, as well as the non-screening of employees.

‘Sober’ choice for Soweto motorists

In a video posted on EWN, Soweto motorists found with alcohol in their car were forced to pour it out in the street during a police operation on Saturday night for congregating and drinking in public.

Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela were also part of the operation that saw these motorists facing arrest if they did not dump their booze.