Suicides and related incidents were also reported in the data provided by the Gauteng Emergency Communication Call Centre. Image for illustrative purposes. Photo: iStock.
For a 24-hour period between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the Gauteng Emergency Communication Centre received a substantial influx of 1 914 calls, with people reaching out for assistance from the province’s government-funded emergency medical services, also known as the “green angels”.
These calls, as reported by the Gauteng Department of Health, spanned a diverse range of incidents, including accidents, medical emergencies, suicides, trauma cases, and various other scenarios.
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Accidents, which encompassed motor vehicle collisions, motorbike accidents, and pedestrian-related incidents, accounted for 102 calls.
Meanwhile, medical emergencies, covering issues like maternity complications, asthma attacks, epilepsy episodes, heart attacks, and collapses, constituted the majority with 898 calls.
Suicides and related incidents, such as poisoning, hanging, and overdoses, were reported in 42 calls. Additionally, trauma cases, including assaults, gunshots, and burns, comprised 468 calls.
This breakdown emphasizes the varied nature of emergencies requiring prompt attention and assistance.
Comparing this data to the previous year, a minimal decline in call volumes was observed. Around the same period in 2022/23, the Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1 929 calls, with 105 accidents, 862 medical cases, 53 suicide/attempts, and 482 trauma cases.
Analysing the statistics of emergency cases attended to between 15 December and 1 January in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 cycles reveals that most calls were medical-related, followed by trauma cases, accidents, and suicide-related calls.
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The Gauteng Health Department also confirmed that there has been a decline in medical-related cases from 18 121 to 16 876.
Trauma-related cases have increased from 5 795 to 6 000. There was also a slightly positive decline in suicide-related cases from 771 to 702. Additionally, there was a slight increase in accident-related cases from 1 676 to 1 682.
Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko expressed gratitude to the residents of Gauteng and those visiting the province for their continued cooperation and patience.
She urged them to make use of primary health facilities and only contact the Emergency Communication Centre for actual medical and trauma emergencies, as this would significantly improve responses to those in distress.
“The statistics could be improved upon drastically if people were to act more responsibly and with consideration of others,” Nkomo-Ralehoko stated.
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