The past 24 hours have been busy for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health's Emergency Medical Services (EMS), who have responded to a multitude of cases ranging from patients with medical conditions to those with traumatic injuries.
The cases responded to included multiple motor vehicle accidents, several of with sadly had people sustaining fatal injuries! The details of several of these incidents include:
- An incident just before 6h00 this morning, on the R66 near the Mbilane bridge, involving a bakkie, left one patient fatality injured, and another 10 patients with injuries ranging from critical to serious. The patients were transported to Nkonjeni hospital after receiving the required emergency medical care.
- In the early hours this morning, on the R34 towards Jabulani in the Empangeni area, a collision between a truck and a light motor vehicle, sadly caused two fatalities and left another patient critically injured who was treated by KZN EMS paramedics before being transported to hospital for ongoing medical care.
- In the Ugu health district, on the R612 between Umzinto and Ixopo, at around 19h00 last night, an accident involving a light motor vehicle left two people fatality injured! Paramedics treated another 10 patients on scene for injuries, which ranged from serious to minor. Once the patients had been stabilized they were transported to GJ Crookes hospital for continued care. While the paramedics from the Umzinto base were attending to this accident, the Port Shepstone based medics were treating a patient on the N2, at Boboyi, which is near Port Shepstone, who had been knocked by a motor vehicle. The patient was seriously injured and once stabilized was transported to hospital by the paramedics from a private ambulance service.
- There were also several incidents in the north of the province in the UThungulu and Zululand health districts last night. At around 18hoo in the Mbilane area near Ulundi, a collision between to bakkies, on the R66, left 10 patients injured, one patient sustained life threatening injuries while the other nine patients were seriously injured. These patients were transported to Nkonjeni hospital for continued care.
- In Dundee at the intersections of Victoria and Wilson streets, at about 19h45 a collision between a car and a motor cycle left two patients seriously injured, who were treated and transported to Dundee hospital.
- While in the Durban metro area, a man was killed after being hit by a vehicle, on Dumisani Makhaye road in KwaMashu and a child was critically injured, also after being hit by a vehicle in the Newlands West area
The causes of these incidents are subject to investigation by the Police. The KZN Department of Health would like to urge all motorists to exercise caution and to abide by the law when using public roads, as such incidents have an adverse impact on the its limited resources and those of the country.
Contact:
Sam Mkhwanazi
Cell: 081 038 2193
