Cape Town - Interpersonal violence was the leading cause of injuries during last year’s festive season.
This according to Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo when she launched the department’s readiness plan for the impending December holiday period.
“Unfortunately, each year during the holidays we experience an increase in road fatalities, drowning or near-drownings and interpersonal violence-related injuries.
"For the Western Cape government to roll out appropriate strategies for the challenges of the festive season, we need to understand the trends,” Mbombo said during a briefing at the New Somerset Hospital in Green Point on Monday.
Mbombo explained that trauma-related emergencies, road crashes, domestic violence incidents and interpersonal violence involving stab wounds and gunshot wounds were the leading incidents dealt with at emergency centres across the regional hospitals during the festive season.
“As from mid-November 2016 until the end of March 2017, Western Cape Government Health Emergency Services is implementing a festive period operational plan that makes provision for an increase in the number of active medical emergency resources such as emergency medical and forensic pathology personnel, as well as emergency medical response vehicles throughout the Western Cape,” she said.
During the festive season last year, the emergency call centre responded to 64091 incidents - six times more than the 10200 calls attended to in December 2012.
Dr Saadiq Kariem, chief director general specialist and emergency services, said the department would closely monitor the need for resources in specific areas across the province.
Dependent on the need, emergency crew numbers and vehicles would be adjusted.
“The number of emergency crews and vehicles are increased by between 20percent and 40percent over this period.
“This equates to two additional ambulances for an area like Vredenburg, which normally operates with three vehicles, but over the festive period will have five emergency response vehicles on standby. This strategy improves service delivery in an area where large distances need to be covered to tend to emergency incidents,” he said.