Get medical assistance before it is too late
Many patients refuse hospital care due to the high numbers of Covid-19 cases.
The RECORD recently chatted to Chantal Peel, a paramedic from National Paramedical Services (NPS), about working on the frontline during the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The virus entered our lives very unexpectedly. It almost crippled our economy, set back our children’s education and ruined people’s lives due to several restrictions.
“Then you get our side of things where we get daily calls from frantic families who need help because their loved ones are ill with Covid-19 and are struggling to breathe,” Chantal said.
People are refusing to go to the hospital
She said on arrival, ambulance crews assess the patient who is gravely ill and initiates treatment.
“After advising the patient and the families that hospital care is needed, they refuse it and after a while, we will get another call from the same family saying that the patient’s condition deteriorated,” she explained.
According to her, people are scared of catching the virus in the hospital and people are scared of dying.
“I felt we needed to bring this under the community’s attention because timing is crucial. On many occasions, the same patient who has refused transportation to the hospital with an ambulance ends up in the hospital several days later.
“But now their condition has deteriorated so much that they end up in ICU and on a ventilator, which could very well have been prevented if they had taken the advice of the paramedics,” Chantal said.
Listen to healthcare workers
“We understand that it is a frightening thought of your relative going to the hospital and being admitted in a Covid ward where you cannot visit them, but why wait for things to get worse? Let us treat your loved ones and get them the further care they need and deserve.”
Chantal said that the mortality rate remains high and even though the national Covid positive numbers are down, Covid is still very real and alive in the area.
“This is our plea to please take Covid-19 seriously and get medical assistance before it is too late,” she concluded.
Contact them
Contact NPS on 071 530 2479 for more information or in case of an emergency. They also have a National Paramedical Services Facebook page where they share daily health and safety tips.
