Going beyond the call of duty to save lives - 15 December 2024

Show Voice Options Statistics show that during the festive season, emergency service calls can increase by as much as 25% in Gauteng. This spike in demand puts immense pressure on our healthcare system. In the last three years the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services Communication Centre received over 117 000 calls during December period with an average of around 39 000 each month. The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has pulled out every resource to ensure that it effectively responds to any medical emergency across the province to save lives during the festive season. MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko on Wednesday, 11 December 2024 outlined safer festive season plans under the theme "Beyond The Call Of Duty - Responding to Emergencies, Preserving Lives". She assured the public that the healthcare system is prepared for the increased need for emergency services due to the surge in accidents related to social gatherings, travel, and festive celebrations. "I want to assure the residents of Gauteng that our hospitals and clinics across all the five health districts are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Proactive measures have been taken to ensure sufficient number of staff members along with the allocation of the necessary resources and equipment needed to serve our residents during this busy season," said the MEC. The GDoH has allocated a fleet of over 400 operational vehicles to serve and respond to emergencies. These includes ambulances, primary response vehicles, rescue vehicles, a disaster response bus, amongst others. Each vehicle is equipped with the necessary medical supplies and technology to ensure that our emergency responders can provide timely and effective care. A team 4 200 staff members that are well trained, experienced and ready to assist during this busy period have also been deployed. This will ensure the provision of rapid and efficient responses to those in need. MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko added that the Provincial Health Operations Centre which is located in Midrand is well capacitated to monitor the volume of calls, track the emergency response times, facilitate planned patients transport, handle hospital diverts, track emergency vehicle movements and monitor daily operational strength across the five districts in Gauteng. "Our personnel are the backbone of our emergency services, and their readiness during periods such as this is paramount," emphasised the MEC. In addition, the GDoH has in the 2024/25 financial year trained over 3 700 community members across the province as first responders surpassing its annual target of 2 500. This means that more people have undergone the First Responder Training programme offered our Lebone College of Emergency Care and they are equipped with essential life-saving skills such as performing CPR, assisting convulsing victims, managing falls, treating sprains, strains and burn cases while awaiting professional help from healthcare personnel.