Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Assault injuries add strain to overstretched WC health system
THE festive season and school holidays have not yet begun and already the 38 Emergency Centres in the province are treating one in 10 people who have been affected by interpersonal violence.
More than 7 000 people have been murdered in South Africa and in the Western Cape, Emergency Centres are already feeling the pinch with 51 014 incidents of violence since the beginning of the year. Some 3 250 people have died as result of either a gunshot wound or a stab wound, putting a strain on the health system.
This week’s quarterly crime statistics revealed that more than 7 000 people were murdered in the second quarter of 2022.
Wendy Kaizer-Philander, DA Western Cape spokesperson on health, said trauma cases were on the increase and putting a strain on emergency centres. “The Department of Health and Wellness has revealed that approximately a quarter of the emergency centre head counts are a result of trauma cases, of which around 9.4% is due to interpersonal violence.”
This was echoed by Mark van der Heever, spokesperson for the Department of Health, who said trauma and violence had put pressure on their staff and hospital systems and that they were working together with other government entities in reducing the strain.
“Trauma cases continue to burden our health system with interpersonal violence among the biggest contributors to the province’s quadruple burden of disease. While the Department of Health feels the effects of violence and injuries, addressing upstream factors must be a collaborative effort.
“The Western Cape government has adopted an approach that brings together colleagues from the departments of health, community safety, education and social development to not only address the incidents themselves but also the causal factors.
“We have identified key hotspot areas for targeted intervention that are seeking to make a direct impact and long-term reduction in these gravely concerning figures.”
Van der Heever said the figures showed the strain on their systems.
“Data from 38 health facilities recorded 51 014 incidents of violence since the beginning of the year to date (November 22). This staggering figure is, sadly, only a proportion of the true number of cases.
“Utilising data from these 38 Western Cape government sites using the Hectis system, 42.2% of all trauma cases seen in our emergency centres were due to assault, 43.7% of the assaults were due to sharp objects, 42.7% were due to blunt objects, 6.4% of the assaults were due to firearms and 27.4% of all assaults were committed against females.”
Van der Heever said everyone had a role to play in reducing the numbers.
“Internationally, life-threatening emergencies are prioritised over non-life-threatening ones. In many cases, these life-threatening conditions are due to violence, leading to other patients having to wait longer, often with potentially detrimental effects to their health. We can help ease the pressure on our health system by considering how our personal choices affect those around us.”
Van der Heever said deaths in 2022 due to violence were staggering
and said the following data has been recorded at the Forensic Pathology Services on deaths related to sharp objects and gun shots for 2022 to date: sharp objects, 1 329; gunshot wounds, 1 921.
He explained that with focusing on reducing the numbers, they would be supported by various departments such as the police during the busiest season of the year. “The Western Cape government’s Safety Dashboard is one initiative that will support this approach by providing real-time data to provincial safety stakeholders, including the SAPS, the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety and the City of Cape Town.
“(It will) ensure data-led and evidence-based
law enforcement deployments to guide violence prevention interventions,” he said.
“This Safety Dashboard, using data from 38 health facilities, will further support the establishment of the provincial government’s Violence Prevention Unit (VPU) and allow for the identification of patterns of admissions into these ECs.
“The VPU will primarily be responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight of a comprehensive violence prevention strategy and will work in partnership with key stakeholders, including government departments, civil society, businesses and research units.”