Umvoti - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has deployed 132 newly qualified personnel at strategic points in the province to attend to all emergencies during the Easter holidays.
Launching the Easter holiday campaign on Thursday, MEC for Health Neliswa Nkonyeni said these newly qualified dedicated personnel will be deployed throughout the province to respond to emergency calls from people in need of their services.
"We are not only deploying the emergency health practitioners, we will also have two emergency helicopters, 55 emergency service vehicles that will assist during the busy of Easter holidays, to attend to all emergencies including road accidents, drowning, and other trauma cases to save lives," said MEC Nkonyeni.
The campaign will kick start today until next week Tuesday.
MEC Nkonyeni said injuries resulting from traffic collisions, drowning, falls or burns and violence from assault, among others account for 9 percent of mortality, and is a threat to health systems worldwide.
The department has also launched a campaign to prevent unnatural injuries and deaths during the Easter weekend, with the key message: 'If you love them you will care and protect them from injuries and death'.
The department has been tasked to co-ordinate activities on the prevention of injuries and non-natural deaths because these categories are currently acknowledged as health and developmental issues.
"We want the people of KwaZulu-Natal to join us in declaring that; 'Injuries and deaths are no accident!' Let us all work together towards and injury and death free holiday season," urged the MEC Nkonyeni.
