The Department of Health and Social Development wishes to state that media reports that a patient who was knocked down by a vehicle was turned away at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic hospital today are not true.
Early today, the hospital was temporarily shut down for electricity supply upgrade between 07h00 and 12h00 and during this time the hospital was not accepting any patients. The department regrets the loss of life and we send our condolences to the family of the deceased. We are, however dismayed at the conduct of the paramedics who attended to the patient at the scene of the accident.
According to our investigation it would appear that the paramedics did not follow the required procedure. In terms of the procedure paramedics attending to a critical patient are required to take the patient to the nearest hospital for stabilisation whether private or public from where the patient will be transported to the appropriate hospital for admission and management.
In this case, the accident at corners of Greyston and Katherine drives in Sandton and the nearest hospital is Morningside Medi-Clinic. This necessitated that the patient be taken there so that she can be stabilised and transferred to public hospital for further treatment. Instead the paramedics tried to find a place in public hospitals and later took the patient to Morningside Medi-Clinic for stabilisation, where the patient should have been taken in the first place.
For inquiries contact:
Mandla Sidu
Cell: 083 602 6169 or 082 773 9013
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, Gauteng Provincial Government
29 June 2009
