The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has assured residents that hospitals in Gauteng will not experience interruptions during the Easter Holidays. Contingency measures have been implemented to ensure the continuous delivery of healthcare services during this period."
"To meet the anticipated demand for healthcare services, the GDoH has implemented contingency plans to ensure adequate staffing levels at public healthcare facilities, along with the allocation of necessary resources and equipment required to provide quality services to the public," it said in a statement.
According to the department, all public hospitals and 38 Community Health Centres (CHCs) offering 24-hour services will remain open to provide medical care to those in need.
In addition, the provincial health department has fully resourced the medical supply depot to ensure the availability of medicines and consumables during this period.
"All four major laundry centres servicing public hospitals across the province will also operate to supply clean linens for in-hospital patients," it said.
About 11 Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) centres will remain operational, with 72 operational response vehicles, including two disaster response trucks, deployed to provide forensic medical examinations and support victims of crime.
This includes assistance to the police in dealing with drunken driving incidents.
However, due to the increased travel on national roads connecting to other provinces and countries, the department has warned of a high risk of accidents and trauma-related cases as well as the transmission of infectious diseases such as Malaria.
The department urged all travellers to remain vigilant on the roads and refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol, as this may result in threats to life and further strain the already burdened public healthcare system.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has emphasised the importance of abiding by the law to reduce the risk of trauma and emergency-related cases.
"Let us play our part in support of our healthcare professionals who have sacrificed their time to serve us during this busy time of the year. Each one of us bears the responsibility to minimise preventable injuries, road accidents and fatalities," she said.
Furthermore, the department mentioned that the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will be on a high alert level to promptly respond to emergencies.
"A fleet of 1,358 emergency vehicles, including specialised units such as Armed Violent Incident ambulances, Intensive Care Units (ICU) ambulances, planned patient transport, special rescue vehicles, and primary response vehicles has been deployed across all five health districts in the province.
The equipment standards have been enhanced with additional neonate and paediatric ventilators to transport low birth weight neonates (babies)," it said.
It maintained that EMS personnel have also been deployed to support law enforcement operations in hotspot areas and ensure the safety of residents on the roads and at crowd-pulling festivals like the Rand Show.
In light of the cholera outbreak, the department further urged the public to visit their nearest healthcare facilities, should they experience mild to severe and watery diarrhoea and dehydration.
"Travellers to and from malaria-endemic provinces such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as countries such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, are also encouraged to take malaria chemoprophylaxis before travelling to these areas," it said.