This comes amidst a horrific accident which left 6 killed and 51 injured on the N8, a few kilometres outside Bloemfontein this morning. 

The department’s spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, says they are appreciative of the working relationship between the public and private healthcare facilities who helped to attend to the injured. He says they are aware of the lack of medical staff in most state hospitals and are working on addressing the issues. He says the department is, however, appreciative of the current medical personnel working under extremely difficult situations to save lives.

“We have also noted that this past weekend was a weekend of high fatalities because in the Free State Province we have recorded 14 deaths in separate accidents, while the number of people who got injured was 78 during the past week.”

He says more medical personnel are to be deployed to different hospitals to ensure that the increased number of people admitted are attended to. He says this includes Katleho Hospital in Virginia, and the Pelonomi Regional Hospital in Bloemfontein.

Mvambi says they have noted that this morning two people were in a critical state and airlifted to Pelonomi Regional Hospital, ten sustained moderate injuries, while 39 sustained minor injuries.

Mvambi says they have received reports that most of the accidents recorded occurred on the R70 road between Hennenman and Welkom, on the R82 between Koppies and Sasolburg, and another on the ZR Hamanabe Road. He urges all road users to be cautious on these roads.

He says MEC Mr Butana Komphela has expressed sadness at the loss of six lives and has sent condolences to the bereaved families.

OFM News/Katleho Morapela