Many public health institutions are not only battling to contain Covid-19 - they are also dealing with exhaustion among frontline workers.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said exhaustion is caused by dealing with too many Covid-19 patients.

"We do anticipate that there is a problem of exhaustion. We have to defeat the surge. We need to see it over and normalisation returning. The problem of exhaustion is real. The problem has hit us more," Mkhize said.

Mkhize said some critical health services not related to Covid-19 are being affected because most resources are being directed at dealing with the virus.

"There are other diseases that cause deaths too. We can't just sit and say we will focus only on Covid-19. The issue of exhaustion is important. We appreciate and take their work seriously. We know they are the ones bearing the brunt of the pandemic. They are making the difference for people infected and their recovery."

"Healthcare workers are doing this at a great sacrifice. The risk of contracting the infection is very serious. Like loyal soldiers, they go to battle to defeat this invisible enemy and save lives and the nation. They could themselves also suffer the consequences thereof.

"We have put up occupational health and safety committees in health institutions. We have opened up for management at facility level to discuss the issue of shortage of PPEs in such a way that we have said that if there are no PPEs, there is no work. The fundamental fight against Covid-19, at the point of health services, is going to be led by health workers who are prepared psychologically and are well protected and trained. We can't deal with an enemy that we fear.

"We do everything to employ additional staff. This surge came faster than we anticipated and came worse than we expected. This has partly had to do with the degree of complacency at the level of society," Mkhize said.

Oxygen supply

"We have also seen that there is a new variant turning [out] to be highly transmissible, more than the previous one. To contain this virus, we need to do what we did before to reduce the impact. We mustn't sit and think we have no way of dealing with it. Early usage of oxygen has saved many people. Oxygen manufacturing plants are under pressure because we need oxygen. We are doing our best, ensuring that there is oxygen because it saves lives.

"We use oxygen ahead of having to put people in ICU. There are people who are now being turned away at ICUs because they were given adequate oxygen," Mkhize said.