NPO COLLABORATION RESULTS IN FIRST OPENING OF MASA MEDPARK AS COVID CASES FILL LOCAL HOSPITALS

As COVID-19 cases continues to surge, and Gauteng hospitals have filled up with suspected and confirmed cases, humanitarian organisation, the Muslim Association of South Africa (MASA) converted an existing clinic to combat the increasing number of COVID-19 infections in local communities.

The surge in cases of COVID-19 has increased the number of people requiring hospitalisation especially oxygen therapy. The projects pushed MASA volunteers to spring into emergency response mode, innovating and adapting quickly with careful attention to quality and safety creating a functional, safe and code-compliant medical facility with 5 days.

The MASA Medpark facility will start accepting patients from Friday the 25^th of June 2021 with the first 10 isolation rooms available at 25 Gardens Road, Norwood is equipped to treat patients at “sub-acute” level of need, not those who require services of intensive care units.

The facility will be managed by health care workers — most who are volunteering to help the province battle against COVID-19

“Apart from beds having piped oxygen supply, there would be portable medical equipment to tend to patients. Ambulances will be kept ready to shift patients whose health condition does not improve despite being given oxygen, to regular hospitals,” said Dr Zaheer Kader The MASA Medpark was set up as a pressure-relief valve for local hospitals. Several others may open as well in the coming weeks, he added.

“We were uniquely positioned to do this kind of work because we are blessed with networks of individuals who can quickly collaborate with colleagues across disciplines to serve the community. The project team had an aggressive 5-day deadline to convert the existing clinic into a functional facility. Thanks to strong relationships among the hospital owners, the local doctors, Gauteng Department of Health, ER24, and numerous other stakeholders with sponsors and donors, the project setup was completed within hours ahead of the deadline schedule”, said Yaseen Theba, chairman of MASA.

“When I walked into these rooms and saw how it was transformed in just five days, I was truly flooded with an overwhelming sense of pride and patriotism, said a local resident as he committed to contribute his donation towards the NPO project.

MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA is a registered non-Profit Organization. (210-044 NPO)

With a growing need for support and aid in local communities as well as nationally, MASA acknowledges the necessity to provide relief and assistance on an exponential scale to areas that have been afflicted by disaster. Our relief assistance spans from providing essentials to victims of fires to individuals who have been struck by natural disasters.

ORCHARD LODGE is a privately owned sub-acute facility, a post-operative care thats a relatively new and rapidly growing medical care service. They serve are a halfway house between hospital and home providing rehabilitation services for patients that no longer require critical care, but are not ready to return home. The services include skilled nursing by professional nursing sisters who are assisted by competent and dedicated care givers 24 hours per day.