The DA has asked for a full-scale investigation following the death of a 12-year-old who was allegedly abandoned by an ambulance from the Mugodeni Grace Health Centre. “The young girl from Nkamabako outside Tzaneen was taken to the Letaba Hospital on Friday, September 29, allegedly suffering from severe headaches and stomach pain.

“She was too weak to walk on her own. She was sent for X-rays and then discharged as the hospital could not find anything wrong with her,” said Lindy Wilson MPL and DA Limpopo spokesperson for Health. On Sunday, October 1, the family, with assistance from the DA councillor in the area, called for an ambulance as the child was desperately ill and while still breathing, was unresponsive.

An ambulance from the Mugodeni Grace Health Care Centre arrived shortly afterwards. She said that the EMS crew seemingly entered   the home with no equipment, checked the child’s eyes and mouth, and then stated that they were not equipped to assist the child. “They further advised that they had a pregnant woman in the ambulance and would have to call another ambulance from Letaba, and then left the child.

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“Two hours later, the second ambulance arrived from Letaba, who declared the child had died,” Wilson said. “We call for an in-depth enquiry on this case, and the MEC for Health, Dr Phopi Ramathuba, must account for the treatment the child received at Letaba Hospital, the qualifications of EMS personnel involved, the lack of equipment in the ambulances, and their disregard of a patient who was obviously seriously ill.

“We would like to extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased child,” she concluded. The Department of Health has denied the allegations. “Indeed, our EMS basic life support crew from Grace Mugodeni station responded to the call as it is alleged,” said Neil Shikwambani, spokesperson of the department.

“Unfortunately, upon arrival, the crew found that the child had already demised which is classified as priority four (P4) in terms of our triage system because there were no cardiorespiratory activities after examining the body of the child. “The crew informed the family that unfortunately the child is ‘no more’, based on their findings.

“However, as basic ambulance assistants, in terms of their scope of practice as per regulation, they will require services of an intermediate life supporter (ILS) to confirm and certify the death which they did and called them.” The said that another call to respond to another emergency which was a priority two (P2) came in and the crew had to leave a P4 to attend to a P2 as per the norms and standards.

“The departure of the first crew had nothing to do with lack of equipment as it is wrongly reported by the DA, but it was a matter of protocol in terms of the regulations. “While the