KwaZulu-Natal ambulance incidents put patient safety in the spotlight
Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health is undergoing another internal investigation after an Emergency Medical Rescue bus caught fire while transporting 52 patients near Cedara.
Midlands EMS spokesperson Roland Robertson said emergency teams were dispatched to the N3 northbound between Cedara and Merrivale in response to a bus fire involving a patient transport service.
Robertson said that upon arrival, crews found the bus had caught alight due to unknown reasons. He said all patients on board were successfully evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
In a media statement, the department stated that following the fire, the patients who were travelling from uThukela and uMgungundlovu were promptly transferred to Grey's Hospital in the uMgungundlovu District using three alternative 22-seater buses.
The department mobilised additional resources including a 22 and a 35-seater buses from the uThukela and uMgungundlovu EMS bases to expedite the safe return of patients to their respective homes. By midnight, all patients were successfully delivered back to Estcourt, Ladysmith, Dundee, and Vryheid.
The cause of the bus fire is under investigation. The department reassured the public that this incident is isolated, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards.
"Our buses are among the safest, staffed by highly trained personnel dedicated to patient care," the statement read.
This incident follows two separate road crashes involving EMS vehicles that occurred early last month. In the first incident, a bus from the Nakekela Hub based in Manguzi overturned while transporting 60 patients and two crew members. The bus struck a stray cow, resulting in a tragic loss of one patient's life while others sustained minor injuries and were transported to eMseleni Hospital for treatment.
In a second incident last month, EMS vehicle carrying two injured minors from Itshelejuba Hospital to Ngwelezane Hospital also overturned after colliding with a stray cow. Fortunately, in this incident, no occupants whether staff, patients, or relatives, sustained injuries.
EMS personnel from uMkhanyakude rendered assistance to transport patients to Ngwelezane Hospital. The department has also expressed its gratitude to members of the public who came to the aid of patients at the collision scene.
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