Emergency crews boosted for festive season

THE number of emergency crews and vehicles in the province will be increased by between 20 percent and 40 percent over the festive season.

Yesterday, the provincial health department hosted a press briefing to address the marked increase in the demand for emergency assistance in preparation for the festive season.

During this peak season, the department said its emergency personnel were inundated with calls to various emergencies and fatalities due to the high number of holidaymakers in the province.

In December last year alone, the Emergency Call Centre responded to 64 091 incidents, an increase of more than 10 200 calls that were attended to in December 2012. Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said: “As from mid-November 2016 until the end of March 2017, Western Cape Government Health Emergency Services will implement a festive period operational plan that makes provision for an increase in the number of active medical emergency resources, such as Emergency Medical Response Vehicles, throughout the Western Cape.”

Health department General Specialist and Emergency Services chief director Saadiq Kariem said the boost would equate to two additional ambulances for an area like Vredenburg, which normally operates with three vehicles, but over the festive period would have five emergency response vehicles on standby.

The Metropole Region had increased emergency crews between 20 percent and 30 percent.