Sky News recently featured the South African town of Lenasia because the community established their own COVID-19 treatment and medical protocols.
Lenasia, South Africa (17 August 2020) – The Lenasia community took their COVID-19 treatment into their own hands recently, establishing a facility that can house up to 60 infected people.
The community watched as their people suffered due to under-resourced hospitals. They grew frustrated knowing that the government had put the country through so much in order to prepare and yet, the medical system was failing them. It was this frustration that helped them establish their own COVID-19 protocols and healthcare facilities.
Aboobaker Sayed, the head of the “Saaberie Chishty”, a community-run ambulance service launched the initiative after he lost his father and uncle to COVID-19. He knew they couldn’t wait for the government to come to the party so he decided to take the steps to save the lives of those sick in his community.
Mr Sayed partnered with various organisations and secured 60 oxygen concentrators. These concentrators make it possible to turn a bedroom into a critical care room.
They are now able to offer real help to 60 people at a time, saving more lives than if they worked on one case at a time.
Dr Fatimah Lambat, an anaesthesiologist and an intensivist, along with her sister Dr Safiyya Lambat, have been making the house-calls to treat the sickly people. The pair wear full hazmat suits to visit their patients and are working well at keeping everyone stable.
They have managed to build up a team of medical professionals and equipment which has meant many avoid going to overcrowded state hospitals.
While Dr Fatimah is also working full time, she has put all her efforts into designing this approach of intensive home-care. She hopes to one day share her experiences with the greater medical community and write a few papers for medical journals across the world.
So far, they are having success. When the doctor is not available, the family act as nurses and carers, giving medication prescribed by the doctors and oxygen from Mr Sayed.
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