Emergency responders ComMed are saving lives when ambulances are delayed
ComMed is a completely free rapid-response medical service offering, run by volunteers to ensure timely medical interventions in time-sensitive emergencies.
The paper has previously reported about the problems plaguing the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health when it comes to ambulance scarcities or shortages of paramedics to man the vehicles.
“On average, Gauteng emergency services receive 4 000 calls in a 24-hour period, with a higher call volume mid-month and end of the month, going up to 6 000 calls. These figures do not account for the additional thousands of calls made to private ambulance services. Over 80 per cent of priority 1 calls are responded to within 30 minutes,” according to MEC for Health, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi.
If you are in a critical condition and need emergency, life-saving assistance, you may want to make use of ComMed.
ComMed provides free, emergency medical assistance to people who can ill afford to wait for an ambulance to arrive if there are delays.
They do not provide support via an ambulance but are a rapid-response service with vehicles that are fully equipped to deal with medical emergencies and trauma on-site. They are staffed by qualified medics who volunteer their services to assist people who are in need.
Nathanael Block lives in Bergbron and heads the non-profit organisation that is saving lives. “In South Africa, we have one of the biggest wealth gaps in the world, with the ultra-rich living within kilometres of the ultra-poor and as a result, the gap in the level of medical care is extremely evident and growing. Our goal is to bridge this gap, giving private level care, ‘gold standard’ medicine to patients, regardless of their financial status, race, and cultural beliefs. We have a passion for helping people and believe that every person deserves the best level of care.”
DA Shadow Minister of Health, Jack Bloom said, “Many non-profits are filling the gaps where provincial health is falling short. I really admire organisations like this which provide potentially lifesaving support because our ambulances offer such poor service.”
Block. explained, “One of our boasting points is that we do not have any billing system at all. People do not pay a cent. Our calls are run completely from donations and corporate sponsorships.”
Fairland CPF secretary Bhaai Cassim said, “They do exceptional work in the community. Our CPF has made use of them on numerous occasions, and they are so helpful and professional in assisting those they serve.”
Their current footprint is largely focused on the greater Randburg and Roodepoort area but they endeavour to assist wherever they can. They are also linked into various CPFs, neighbourhood watches and patrol teams to offer assistance when needed.
They are a registered non-profit and Level 1 B-BBEEE contributor, so all donations qualify for a Section 18(A) tax certificate.
In an emergency, please call 078 772 2528 or reach out to ComMed if you would like to engage with them further through Nathanael Block via email, nate@commed.org.za
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