EIGHTY nine brand news ambulances were recently unveiled by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Health outside Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.
KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said he hoped the brand new fleet would help “improve government’s ability aid people in emergency situations” in the province’s 11 districts.
“Our province is home to more than 10,5 million people, which amounts to 21 per cent of the population of the country. At least 80 per cent of these people depend on public health sector for their medical and health needs,” he said at the launch.
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With more than 300 ambulances and over 2 500 paramedics, KZN has the biggest Emergency Medical Service in the country, said Dhlomo.
“When it comes to our ability to respond to incidents of violence, injuries and trauma as a department, paramedics play a profoundly critical role in saving lives. They are the first healthcare professionals to arrive at the scene of an accident or a homestead of a sick patient. They quickly assess the situation and determine the proper course of action for that individual. It therefore becomes crucial for paramedics to get to the scene of an emergency as close to this “golden hour” as possible. This is the first hour after a traumatic injury, when emergency treatment is most likely to be successful,” he acknowledged.
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