MEC for Health showcases ambulances and talks of health campaign

The department procured 120 ambulances for the Gauteng province, which are equipped with state of the art technology. Twenty of the ambulances are obstetric ambulances. The new ambulances will be used to attend to pregnant mothers in distress and reduce mother and child mortality due to pregnancy complications.

MEC Papo said, “The ambulances were deployed in December 2013 and they responded to 1001 motor vehicle accidents over the festive season. They transported 9820 trauma patients to different facilities. Many of the patients [2415] were victims of assault and had gunshot wounds and other injuries inflicted with weapons.”

MEC Papo said residents must stop calling ambulances for minor injuries as the vehicles are there for emergencies. “Please do not call an ambulance for an injury or illness you can drive or walk to the clinic or hospital for. A minor cut and bruise are not emergencies one can call an ambulance for.”

The MEC also mentioned that great strides had been made in the fight against HIV/Aids but HIV-positive pregnant women still need to understand the importance of testing in early stages of pregnancy. “HIV-positive pregnant women who are on anti-retroviral treatment have increased from 60.2 percent in 2010 and 2011 to 80.5 percent in March 2013.”

Reduction of the transmission of HIV from mother to child reduced from 4.1 percent in 2010/2011 to 2.4 percent in 2012/2013.

The department has also strengthened its immunisation programme through the introduction of the Rotavirus and Pneumoccoccal vaccines. On 10 and 11 March the department visited schools to administer the human papillomavirus vaccine to young girls as part of its campaign to reduce chances of them developing cervical cancer. The campaign targets Grade 4 girls who are nine years old, in all public schools and special needs schools. The campaign is targeting 80 000 girls in total.