AMBULANCE services were up to their necks tending to accident scenes and medical cases on New Year’s Day.
ICE Medical Rescue and Netcare 911 said a relatively quiet New Year’s Eve in Richards Bay was soon followed by a busy day for medics, motorists and holiday makers.
Three car accidents, in Meerensee, at the Green Africa robots and in Veldenvlei, saw 10 people sustain minor injuries between 6.30am and 9pm on Wednesday.
ICE Medical Rescue Director, Vinesh Chinsamy said his team fortunately did not have any serious or fatal cases.
Netcare 911 rushed to eight emergencies throughout the day, including injuries, cardiac cases and epileptic attacks.
Medics said this time of the year has become known as ‘Holiday Heart Syndrome’ as people eat unhealthily and binge drink, which often leads to cardiac cases.
Three patients were sent to Durban as Netcare The Bay Hospital was reportedly jam-packed.
EMRS dashed to two accidents with three minor injuries on Wednesday – one on the John Ross Parkway and the other at the uMhlathuze Bridge near Eshowe.
On Tuesday, EMRS also saw to four car accidents near Felixton, in Alton and near the Empangeni Rail.
Three patients with serious injuries and one with minor injuries were taken to the Ngwelezana Hospital for treatment.
A pedestrian was knocked down by a vehicle near the post office at the Empangeni Rail and sadly passed away on scene.
