The MEC for Health in Mpumalanga, Mr Gillion Mashego has commended giant fuel company, SASOL in Secunda and the Red Cross Children Hospital in Cape Town, for their assistance in saving the life of an 11 year old boy from Evander who sustained 96 % burn wounds on his entire body.
Vusi Shabangu is an 11 year old patient who burned in a shack on July 31, 2016 at about 02:45am. The other child who was in the same shack unfortunately passed away.
Vusi sustained 96 per cent burn wounds all over his body. The patient was successfully resuscitated. Due to the seriousness of the boy’s condition, the Department contacted Red Cross Children Hospital in Cape Town on Monday the 15th of August 2016 to request them to admit the patient. This was after several hospitals in other provinces could not provide assistance.
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The hospital agreed and also committed that they will treat the patient for free even though there is no Memorandum of Understanding between the Mpumalanga and Western Cape Department of Health.
The Department was only requested to take full responsibility for the transportation of the patient from Evander Hospital to Red Cross Children’s Hospital in the Western Cape. The Department then requested a quotation from Halo Aviation which amounted to R463, 231.94 to and from Western Cape.
Given this huge amount, the Department sought for sponsors. SASOL then committed itself that it will take full responsibility for the payment of the transportation costs to and from the Western Cape.
The patient was on last week Thursday taken by ER24 ambulance to OR Tambo airport for departure to the Western Cape.
“We would like to thank SASOL for their contribution in paying the transportation for the patient. I would also like to thank the Red Cross Children Hospital in Cape Town for agreeing to provide medical assistance to the young man at no costs. As the Mpumalanga Department of Health we are grateful for this gesture. I would like to wish the patient, Vusi Shabangu a speedy recovery” said MEC Mashego.
