Cape Town - While emergency medical services prepare for the holiday season, records suggest a frantic start to it, with a total of 5 086 incidents this past weekend.
The EMS report showed that of the 5 086 incidents, 56 were transport-related and 115 incidents were in red zone areas and four were search and rescue incidents.
According to the report, the top 10 incident types include non-cardiac pain, weapon assault, respiratory complaints and domestic accidental injuries, to name a few.
The Western Cape’s Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Deanna February said that, with the red zones indicated in the report, EMS officials would continue to serve communities as it was their core principle.
“The red zone indicated in the report changes regularly. However, the current permanent red zones include Chicago in Paarl, Beacon Valley, Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain and Hanover Park. However, EMS officials will continue to serve communities thoughout.
“A patient-centric approach is always undertaken by each EMS official, and commitment to proudly serve communities within the Western Cape is a core principle which paramedics live by across the province,” said February.
Hanover Park Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Ebrahim Abrahams said that, given the crime rate in the area, more visible policing was needed.
“We, as a community, are struggling with this pandemic and still fear for our lives when it comes to shootings in our area. We feel that SAPS must step up more visibility of police working hand in hand with the crime fighter and neighbourhood watches.
“We, as crime fighters, are the ears and eyes of the police, so the only way we can move forward is if we need to unite to bring the change we need to see in our community,” said Abrahams.
Weekend Argus