State pathology fleet will be a great help to Limpopo this festive season
The fleet wil be ready to respond to road fatalities that usually increase this time of year, as well as gender-based violence cases that result in death.
POLOKWANE – Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba encouraged locals to be mindful of their social behaviour over the festive season, to alleviate the burden on the department of directing limited resources to accidents that could have been avoided.
On November 5, she handed over 12 newly purchased forensic pathology vehicles to the province’s public forensics unit at The Ranch Resort.
“Forensic pathology vehicles will be of great help in equipping the forensic pathology unit in the province as they render services in all districts,” a departmental statement reads.
Forensic pathology renders medico-legal investigation services to determine causes of unnatural deaths and plays a big role in crime scenes.
Forensic pathology is a specialist pathology whose area of competence is the examination of persons who died suddenly, unexpectedly or violently.
Ramathuba said increased violent crimes and collisions prompted by non-compliance, dip into funds that could have been used to increase the department’s capacity in other areas.
“These resources could then be directed towards service delivery. The vehicles will be used to respond to road traffic fatalities that usually increase over the festive time. They will also be used to respond to gender-based violence cases that require forensic pathology services in the case of death, to respond to the scenes.”
Many of these types of trauma, she said, take the lives of innocent people and can be avoided.
