Western Cape Emergency Services had a busy Bank Holiday weekend.
- The emergency services were very busy over the long weekend.
- Teams responded to more than 10,000 incidents.
- Most of the incidents involved assaults with weapons.
The emergency services were very busy dealing with over 10,000 medical emergencies over the Christmas long weekend in the Western Cape.
Provincial health services were already gearing up for another excellent long weekend, with even more incidents expected.
Western Cape Health Department Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff responded to 10,245 incidents, of which 32% involved life-threatening cases.
EMS spokesman Byron La Hoe said the incidents ranged from hikers needing to be rescued from Table Mountain to more than 123 pedestrians sustaining injuries.
“Unfortunately, most of the incidents handled by EMS involved weapons attacks, from stab wounds to gun violence.”
He said the patients were transported to Tygerberg, Worcester and Groote Schuur hospitals for treatment.
The injuries included 1,802 patients with chest pain, 1,270 incidents of assault with weapons, 934 patients with respiratory complaints, and 739 physical assaults.
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The EMS, with a police escort, attended several incidents in neighborhoods such as Beacon Valley (75), Tafelsig (78), Hanover Park (47) and Chicago, in Paarl (16).
“From 12:00 a.m. on Friday to 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday (today), 4,799 cases of trauma were presented in 41 emergency centers throughout the province linked to our Triage and Information System of the Hospital Emergency Center.
“The trauma-related breakdown at these 41 facilities included 1,174 stabbings, 1,099 blunt force assaults, 225 motor vehicle-related injuries and 183 pedestrian-related injuries, 67 gunshot injuries, 1,127 accidental injuries, and 113 self-harm injuries,” LaHoe said. .
Most reported trauma cases occurred in Cape Metro at facilities such as Delft CHC (228), Kraaifontein CHC (227), Worcester Hospital (226), Paarl Hospital (217), Khayelitsha Hospital (210), Gugulethu CHC, Mitchells Plain Hospital (168), Gugulethu CHC (207), and Elsies River CHC (193).
La Hoe said hospitals and 24-hour community health centers (CHCs) were prepared for the surge in cases expected over New Year’s weekend.
