Health department equips mobile units to support airway emergencies
Doctors, nurses, and paramedics also received training from the recent symposium on opening blocked airways and using the latest equipment.
Local health workers were recently treated to a course on airway management to save lives.
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) collaborated with several Tshwane health institutions, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring life-saving measures are never far away.
The GDoH’s province’s inaugural Advanced Airway Management Symposium was held on August 20 at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Ga-Rankuwa.
The symposium was a collaborative effort between Gauteng Health Emergency Management Services, Lebone College of Emergency Care, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and private sector partners.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), timely access to quality emergency care can reduce avoidable death and disability by up to 50%.
The symposium aimed to empower doctors, nurses, and paramedics with life-saving emergency care skills, particularly in airway management during trauma and resuscitation.
The symposium offered hands-on training in opening blocked airways, performing emergency procedures, and using the latest equipment to assist patients in breathing during life-threatening situations such as accidents, heart attacks, and critical injuries.
“Airway management is not just a technical skill; it is the difference between saving a life and losing it. Every clinician who leaves here today more confident and better prepared is another step toward a health system our people can trust in their darkest hour,” said GDoH MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The Gauteng EMS has introduced ICU ambulances equipped with advanced life support systems and specialised airway management tools.
These mobile intensive care units feature ventilators, endotracheal tubes, suction devices, bag-valve masks, surgical cricothyrotomy kits, and alternative airway devices such as laryngeal mask airways.
These tools allow paramedics to secure and manage airways effectively during transport, even in the most critical scenarios.
All primary response vehicles and ambulances in the province, except for ICU ambulances, also meet or exceed the minimum equipment requirements.
This ensures that emergency teams are consistently prepared to deliver high-quality care from the moment they arrive on scene.
The GDoH said that through these investments, it’s reinforcing its commitment to building a responsive and resilient healthcare system.
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