Cape Town - The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has officially unveiled its latest offering, a new state-of-the-art Ambulance Station in Villiersdorp.
The innovative programme was launched earlier this week by the provincial government in the rural town. Villiersdorp a large farming community, has grown over the years almost doubling in population.
According to the Department now headed by MEC Mireille Wenger, the R8.45 million development will work to make emergency medical services accessible to residents in and around the town.
Speaking at the launch of the Station, Wenger said establishing the EMS ambulance station was a critical step in rendering an effective pre-hospital emergency medical service for Villiersdorp and its surrounding communities in the Theewaterskloof municipality.
She said: “This is part of our effort to address the needs of rural communities in the Western Cape where ambulances travel great distances and response times can be slower. This brand-new ambulance station will help improve access and response times, which can be lifesaving when residents are critically ill or injured.”
The space designed for the new EMS facility was previously used for the Villierdorp Willa Clinic, which the new Villiersdorp Clinic has since replaced. The clinic is home to three ambulance vehicles and patients in Villiersdorp are often transported to Caledon and Worcester Hospitals.
In addition, the community also has access to one Healthnet vehicle for non-emergencies to transport patients to other healthcare facilities.
Commenting on the initiative, EMS District Manager Ivan Naidoo said: “The opening of this building marks a huge stride by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness Emergency Medical Services towards improving service delivery to our residents while empowering our staff.
Naidoo shared that the new facility would house at least 16 EMS practitioners and one manager to provide quality emergency medical services to the Villiersdorp community and surrounding areas 24 hours a day.
“Our staff work shifts to provide emergency medical care to approximately 15 000 people and respond to approximately 500 calls per month. And the new facility will significantly reduce travel costs and provide staff with access to training opportunities directly from the EMS base rather than staff needing to travel to Cape Town,” he said.