Gauteng Health Emergency Medical Services ready for the festive season

Department of Health 2019/11/30 - 22:00



In preparation for the festive season the Gauteng Department of Health has unveiled 192 Emergency Medical Services vehicles to supplement the existing fleet. This fleet is made up of specialized ambulances and will be distributed across the five Gauteng districts. These vehicles will help to improve EMS efficiency and response time.
The Gauteng Department of Health EMS on average receive 100 000 calls per month, which is mainly trauma cases.
The new fleet consist of the following categories:
·         130 combined obstetric & intermediate life support ambulances,
·         20 multi-purpose ambulances with minimum of 2 stretcher capability,
·         20 planned patient transport vehicles,
·         16 primary response vehicles
·         4 specialised rescue vehicles.
MEC Masuku re-affirmed the decision to provincialise EMS in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, the process is at an advanced stage in Johannesburg. In Ekurhuleni, the provincialisation processes are expected to officially begin in February 2020 and to be completed by June 2020. “We must emphasise that the decision to provincialise is rooted in maximizing on efficiencies and curbing costs for the Department. I am pleased that the EMS unit in the Department has heeded the call to ensuring that we prioritise implementation that will have a direct benefit for the people of Gauteng who rely on the public health sector for their health needs, said MEC Masuku”
Furthermore the Department together with West Rand Municipality have partnered to refurbish the Mohlakeng EMS Base which was vandalised as a result of service delivery protest in May 2018. The base accommodates 41 staff members and serves the following areas; Mohlakeng, Randfontein, Finsbury, Badirile, Toekomsrus, Greens Park and Azaadville.
MEC Masuku pleaded with members of the community to not vandalize state infrastructure, doing so affects access to the services for themselves and the rest of the community. He emphasized the importance of taking pride, ownership and valuing the infrastructure that has been built for them.
Accident and emergency departments in our hospitals remain the busiest around the month end period, with a notably high number of gunshot wounds, stabbings and motor vehicle accidents patients coming in. One of the contributing factors is the high level of alcohol consumption which leads to violence and reckless driving. The festive season period also accounts for a high number of trauma cases, we urge members of the public to be responsible during this period, some of these cases are avoidable.
The number of emergency cases admitted in the academic and tertiary hospitals in the past year were as follows:           
Facility                                         No. of emergency              No. of emergency
                                                      cases admitted               cases need operation                                                         
Chris Hani Baragwanath                                73 733                         9828
Academic Hospital       
                                                                      
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg 
Academic Hospital                                       16 846                             9617

 
Dr George Mukhari                                       
Academic Hospital                                         11842                             8048

 
Steve Biko Academic Hospital                        36920                            7657

 
Helen Joseph Hospital                                     18616                           2924

 
Kalafong Hospital                                              7144                           4003

 
Tembisa Hospital                                             28 218                       13 892

RELATED NEWS

No related news