Two Eastern Cape EMS drivers recently transporting a child from Mthatha had to spend two nights in an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, after the provincial Health Department failed to secure them accommodation.
The department has acknowledged a breakdown in communication that caused the problem, and said administrative staff had since been “cautioned”, reports News24.
The drivers had arrived in Cape Town on a Thursday and dropped the child off at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, but there was nowhere for them to stay.
Khayelitsha resident Pholelwa Magazi, who met the men at a tavern, came to their rescue, let them park their vehicle next to her shack in the Social Distance informal settlement. She even gave up her bed and went to sleep at a friend’s home.
The pair returned to the Eastern Cape on the Saturday.
Eastern Cape Health Department Deputy Director of Communications Sizwe Kupelo later commented on Facebook that the transfer request for the Thursday booking had been made only the day before, leaving little time to arrange accommodation. EMS had advised rescheduling the trip to Friday or Monday, but the transfer went ahead on Thursday.
Magazi said when she met the EMS crew, “They told us they had just brought a sick child from the Eastern Cape and didn’t know where to go”.
They were looking for a place to sleep and were lost, she added.
“One said he had a cousin in the area but was unsure exactly where. They weren’t familiar with the area, and we feared they could be robbed or attacked.”
Magazi said Kupelo had promised her a voucher to show his appreciation for helping the drivers.
In response to social media questions, Kupelo stated the vehicle was a patient transport vehicle, not an ambulance. “If this had been a critical case, we would have airlifted the patient,” he said.
Siyanda Manana, Director of Communications at Eastern Cape Health, told News24 that the department regretted the inconvenience caused to the EMS staff but appreciated their willingness to put the life of the patient first.
“Management acknowledges the breakdown in communication and accepts that the required logistical support should have been finalised before departure, particularly given the long distance involved and the importance of rest and recovery for operational safety and effectiveness,” he said.
Manana added that the acting manager and the administrative staff had been “cautioned”.
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