19 March 2007
The tidal wave warning that has been issued by the Durban's Weather Bureau
and the search and rescue services has forced the Department of Health to put
the Addington Hospital on alert.
It is expected that the high tide wave will hit the Durban shores around
16h00 today and in the early hours of tomorrow morning. The Addington Hospital,
being along the shore, has been put on alert. A Joint Operations Committee
(JOC) comprising of the eThekwini Disaster Management, the Emergency Medical
Rescue Services (EMRS) of the Department of Health and officials of the
department have met today to make necessary preparations in case of a disaster
hitting eThekwini again.
The public is urged to use other institutions should they require medical
attention until the situation is declared calm. Patients in the hospital wards
will be cared for at Addington Hospital until the JOC decides otherwise. The
department has mobilised its resources to deal with any eventuality with the
EMRS and Air Ambulances being placed on stand-by. Should the JOC feel that the
hospital is threatened; the South African Police Service and the South African
National Defence Force will be mobilised to assist in moving patients to other
hospitals and to cordon the hospital off.
Enquiries:
Leon Mbangwa
Cell: 083 459 8695
Tim Msiza
Cell: 083 562 9207
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
19 March 2007
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za/)
