By Agreement Mabunda and Kabelo Mokgalabone
TZANEEN-The Limpopo Department of Health has denied allegations that Emergency Medical Services personnel abandoned a sick child.
This comes after the Democratic Alliance in Limpopo called for a full-scale investigation following the death of a 12-year-old who was allegedly abandoned by an ambulance from Mugodeni Grace Health Centre.
It is reported that the young girl from Nkamabako in Greater Tzaneen was taken to the Letaba Hospital on Friday 29 September, allegedly suffering from severe headaches, and stomach pain and was too weak to walk on her own. She was sent for x-rays and then discharged as the hospital could not find anything wrong with her.
On Sunday morning the 1st of October the family called for an ambulance as the child was desperately ill and while still breathing, was unresponsive. The ambulance from the Mugodeni Grace Health Care Centre arrived shortly afterwards.
According to Lindy Wilson DA Limpopo Spokesperson for Health the EMS crew from the hospital, entered the home with no equipment checked the child’s eyes and mouth, and then stated that they were not equipped to assist the child. They further advised that they had a pregnant woman in the ambulance and would have to call another ambulance from Letaba, and then left the child.
“Two hours later, the second ambulance arrived from Letaba, who declared the child had died,” she said in a statement
The Limpopo Department of Health denied those allegations and said when the EMS Basic Life Support arrived the child had no sign of life.
“Unfortunately, upon arrival, the crew found that the child had already demised which is classified as Priority Four (P4) in terms of our triage system because there were no cardio-respiratory activities after examining the body of the child. The crew informed the family that unfortunately the child is no more based on their findings, however as Basic Ambulance Assistants(BAA) in terms of their scope of practice as per regulation, they will require the services of an Intermediate Life Supporter( ILS) to confirm and certify the death which they did call them”
Spokesperson Neil Shikwambana further said
another call to respond to another emergency which was a Priority Two (P2) came in and the crew had to leave a P4 to attend to a P2 as per the norms and standards to avoid losing a life where we still have an opportunity to save. The departure of the first crew had nothing to do with the lack of equipment as it was wrongly reported by the DA, but it was a matter of protocol in terms of the regulation.
The DA called for an in-depth enquiry on this case and demanded the MEC for Health, Dr Ramathuba to account for the treatment the child received at Letaba Hospital, the qualifications of EMS personnel involved, and the lack of equipment in the ambulances.
@Tzaneenvoice
