'No ambulances are available'

2005-03-23 09:21

Riot Hlatshwayo

Giyani, South Africa - Limpopo's health department is investigating a local hospital for failing to dispatch ambulances to the scene of a road accident, in which eight people were injured.

Passing motorists were eventually forced to take six of the injured to Malamulele hospital, about 3km down the road.

Two children were eventually collected by an unequipped ambulance, but only 90 minutes after the accident and only once health MEC Seaparo Sekoati intervened.

Three cars had collided along the tarred road between Xithlelani and Mphambo just at about 19:30 on Saturday night.

A passing motorist, who is the ANC's organiser for the Mopani area, Solly Mkhantswa, stopped and tried to call the hospital for an ambulance, but was repeatedly cut off.

"I've never heard of anything like this before," he fumed. "People were bleeding at the accident scene and hospital officials kept dropping the phone in my ear."

When he eventually got through, someone called Lorraine told him there were no ambulances and dropped the phone again.

'Forced to call the MEC'

"I was forced to call the MEC who promised to intervene immediately," said Mkhantswa.

Police had arrived on the scene about five minutes after the accident and an officer commented that the hospital often delayed sending ambulances to accident scenes.

Mkhantswa then asked the police to take him to the hospital, with their sirens blaring, where he personally confronted the sister in charge, Martha Makaukau.

She blamed the provincial Emergency Medical Services in Polokwane saying their drivers often left the hospital without telling anyone or leaving their mobile contact numbers.

She said she was pleased that Mkhantswa had called the MEC.

"It is obvious that you are a man of the people. Your call to the MEC will obviously be a wakeup call for the whole department," she told him.

The ambulance that was eventually sent to the scene had no medical equipment on board. It's usually used to ferry patients between hospitals. Ironically, Khensani hospital in Giyani about 35km away dispatched its well-equipped ambulances, but they arrived only after the injured were no longer at the scene. It's not clear who called the hospital.

Of the eight injured, two had to be admitted to hospital, while the others, including the children, were treated and discharged.

Department spokesperson Phuti Seloba said on Tuesday that an investigation was being held into the incident.

"I don't doubt that when we get to the bottom of the matter, heads might roll," said Seloba.

- African Eye