The Human Rights Commission yesterday heard testimony from Eastern Cape residents, of their desperate attempts to get help from emergency medical services.
The department of health was hauled into public hearings at the East London ICC yesterday by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
The hearings, set down for two days, come after an investigation by the Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition (ECHCAC) uncovered poor ambulance response times, lack of equipment at hospitals, lack of competent staff and the inability of ambulances to travel on rural roads due to their bad state as among the failures to provide emergency services.
More than 300 people from various communities across the province arrived to share their experiences with the commission.
Among them was Thandi Damba, who spoke of August 5 2013, a day she would never forget when she as a community healthworker, was forced to deliver a baby after an ambulance allegedly failed to arrive.
Damba painted a terrifying scene as she tried to help a woman in labour at her home in Bhirha village, Peddie.
The woman had just gone into labour at midday when they called an ambulance. When there was no sign of emergency medical assistance, Damba decided to deliver the baby herself.
“That is a dark day of my life. I will never forget that day. Men had to assist me to restrain the woman while she cried, struggling to push out her baby who was stuck.”
She said one of the men had to put his knee on the woman’s chest to hold her down. Damba said the incident could have been avoided had an ambulance been sent on time.
A healthy, bouncing baby was eventually delivered at about 7pm – but the ambulance never arrived.
Notshayina Skepe from Lusikisiki told the SAHRC that she believed her mother would still be alive today had there been no delay in sending an ambulance.
In 2009, her asthmatic mother had to be rushed to hospital, but after a four-hour wait, she had to make another plan to get her critically ill mother to hospital.
“As an elder child, I decided to go to town and find a bakkie to take my mother to hospital.”
She said on their way to Bedford Hospital, they met the ambulance and stopped it – but the paramedics allegedly told them to continue to the hospital.
“I pleaded with them and they later agreed to take her, but refused to give her water and oxygen,” Skepe told the Dispatch.
Her mother was declared dead the following day.
There were submissions from families who had to use their social grants to hire private vehicles to ferry loved ones to health facilities.
Head of the health department, Thobile Mbengashe, said he took responsibility for what happened to the affected families.
“It’s unacceptable that when people ask for help, they do not get it. I was touched by the testimonies that people have to use their social grants to hire vehicles.”
Mbengashe said his department had undertaken a process to fit ambulances with trackers, and were also going to install devices to record calls.
In addition, the department would look into the operations of 10 call centres in the province.
“Nobody will have to wait four hours for ambulances. If four hours pass, the department will hire a private ambulance to fetch the patient.”
SAHRC spokesman Isaac Mangena said the commission had conducted an investigation into issues raised by communities.
“In its response to the initial investigation, the provincial government conceded some of the allegations and stated that roughly 600 ambulances were needed to meet the standard set by the national Department of Health of one ambulance for every 10000 people.”
The provincial health department had only 310 ambulances, and an additional 100 ambulances were undergoing conversion.
Finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo was expected to make a presentation yesterday, but he did not arrive.
The SAHRC announced it would subpoena him to appear. Public Works was also is expected to present yesterday. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
E Cape’s EMS failures under fire
The department of health was hauled into public hearings at the East London ICC yesterday by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
The hearings, set down for two days, come after an investigation by the Eastern Cape Health Crisis Action Coalition (ECHCAC) uncovered poor ambulance response times, lack of equipment at hospitals, lack of competent staff and the inability of ambulances to travel on rural roads due to their bad state as among the failures to provide emergency services.
More than 300 people from various communities across the province arrived to share their experiences with the commission.
Among them was Thandi Damba, who spoke of August 5 2013, a day she would never forget when she as a community healthworker, was forced to deliver a baby after an ambulance allegedly failed to arrive.
Damba painted a terrifying scene as she tried to help a woman in labour at her home in Bhirha village, Peddie.
The woman had just gone into labour at midday when they called an ambulance. When there was no sign of emergency medical assistance, Damba decided to deliver the baby herself.
“That is a dark day of my life. I will never forget that day. Men had to assist me to restrain the woman while she cried, struggling to push out her baby who was stuck.”
She said one of the men had to put his knee on the woman’s chest to hold her down. Damba said the incident could have been avoided had an ambulance been sent on time.
A healthy, bouncing baby was eventually delivered at about 7pm – but the ambulance never arrived.
Notshayina Skepe from Lusikisiki told the SAHRC that she believed her mother would still be alive today had there been no delay in sending an ambulance.
In 2009, her asthmatic mother had to be rushed to hospital, but after a four-hour wait, she had to make another plan to get her critically ill mother to hospital.
“As an elder child, I decided to go to town and find a bakkie to take my mother to hospital.”
She said on their way to Bedford Hospital, they met the ambulance and stopped it – but the paramedics allegedly told them to continue to the hospital.
“I pleaded with them and they later agreed to take her, but refused to give her water and oxygen,” Skepe told the Dispatch.
Her mother was declared dead the following day.
There were submissions from families who had to use their social grants to hire private vehicles to ferry loved ones to health facilities.
Head of the health department, Thobile Mbengashe, said he took responsibility for what happened to the affected families.
“It’s unacceptable that when people ask for help, they do not get it. I was touched by the testimonies that people have to use their social grants to hire vehicles.”
Mbengashe said his department had undertaken a process to fit ambulances with trackers, and were also going to install devices to record calls.
In addition, the department would look into the operations of 10 call centres in the province.
“Nobody will have to wait four hours for ambulances. If four hours pass, the department will hire a private ambulance to fetch the patient.”
SAHRC spokesman Isaac Mangena said the commission had conducted an investigation into issues raised by communities.
“In its response to the initial investigation, the provincial government conceded some of the allegations and stated that roughly 600 ambulances were needed to meet the standard set by the national Department of Health of one ambulance for every 10000 people.”
The provincial health department had only 310 ambulances, and an additional 100 ambulances were undergoing conversion.
Finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo was expected to make a presentation yesterday, but he did not arrive.
The SAHRC announced it would subpoena him to appear. Public Works was also is expected to present yesterday. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
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