EMS urged to respond quickly to accident scenes
GA- MAKOFANE
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in Tubatse has urged emergency medical services (EMS) and SAPS to improve their response times.
They said this after an elderly man died in an accident at Ga-Makofane Village on May 31. The man (a passenger) and the driver of a Nissan Sentra were travelling on the road between Mabocha and Ga-Makofane villages when the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree next to the gravel road.
Community leader and Sanco member David Mokoena said this accident happened at about 18:30. He alleged the elderly man died at around 20:30, by which time neither the EMS nor the SAPS had arrived on scene. The driver of the vehicle was rushed to the Dilokong Hospital by his family at around 20:45.
Speaking to this publication, Mokoena said it took the SAPS and EMS officials more than three hours to respond to the accident scene.
“Both the EMS and SAPS arrived at the scene at about 23:00. As Sanco we need accountability from the Limpopo Government. People cannot die because of a shortage of ambulances and slow reaction by responders.
There must be ambulances that are always on standby to assist in these situations. We will soon engage the police to find out why they are not assisting these communities.”
Mokoena said the lack of ambulances and delayed response times by EMS officials is concerning. A significant number of ambulances were handed over to Sekhukhune in the past two years.
In November 2023, the former Limpopo premier, Chupu Mathabatha, handed over 35 new ambulances to the Sekhukhune District Municipality’s Emergency Medical Services.
In March 2024, an additional 86 ambulances were delivered, bringing the total to 121 new ambulances for the district.
Regarding the alleged slow reaction by EMS officials, this publication contacted the spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Health, Neil Shikwambane. At the time of going to press, he had yet to respond to the concerns raised by Sanco.
