Time of Incident: Approximately 21:21
Location: In front of Lollipop Roadhouse, Kilnerpark, Pretoria
Pretoria Volunteer Emergency Services (PVES) responded to reports of a pedestrian vehicle accident at approximately 21:21 last night in front of Lollipop Roadhouse, Pretoria. Multiple emergency resources, including the EST - Emergency Support and advanced life support members from Pretoria Volunteer Emergency Services, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, crews found an adult patient in an extremely critical Priority 1 (Code Red) condition after allegedly being struck by a motor vehicle. The driver of the vehicle reportedly fled the scene immediately following the collision, leaving the patient with severe traumatic injuries.
The patient sustained:
• A severe traumatic head injury with significant bleeding
• A suspected fractured right arm
• Poor breaking
• Critically low blood pressure
• Severe respiratory compromise
• Unequal pupils indicating possible severe brain trauma
• A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3/15, indicating profound neurological impairment
Due to the severity of the injuries, PVES members immediately requested additional advanced critical care support
as wel as the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further assistance and investigation.
On arrival of the critical care unit, aggressive advanced life support interventions were initiated. Emergency crews administered life-saving medication and intravenous infusions in an attempt to stabilize the patient’s blood pressure, control bleeding and monitor the bilateral intravenous access that was already established, #PVES performed advanced airway management to control breathing. Once the patient’s condition had been sufficiently stabilized, the patient was placed on artificial ventilation through endotracheal intubation to take over respiratory function due to the extent of the head injury. Die to no ambulances arriving in about 80 minutes AURA SA gracefully authorised a private ambulance to transport the patient.
Despite the severity of the incident, no available ambulance resources arrived for an extended period, resulting in PVES crews being requested to transport the critically injured patient themselves in the Emergency Medical Solutions ambulance authorised by Aura with PVES personel on board.
During transport, emergency crews encountered a severe shortage of available hospital resources within the Tshwane region. Multiple hospitals were contacted in an attempt to secure definitive care for the patient, including:
• Steve Biko Academic Hospital
• Pretoria Academic Hospital
• Tembisa Hospital
• Mamelodi Hospital
• Kalafong Hospital
Unfortunately, all facilities were either operating at full capacity or unable to accept the patient due to critical resource limitations. Kalafong Hospital additionally experienced CT scanner limitations, preventing acceptance of a severe trauma patient requiring immediate neurological imaging.
For approximately three hours, emergency personnel were forced to continue critical care treatment inside the ambulance while searching for an available facility capable of accepting the patient. During this time, oxygen supplies and emergency medications began running critically low due to the prolonged out-of-hospital management of the patient.
Pretoria Academic Hospital subsequently assisted by temporarily stabilizing the patient and replenishing oxygen and medication resources while further arrangements were made. At approximately 00:00, the patient was transported toward Kalafong Hospital, where additional challenges regarding admission were encountered. According to the latest available information, the patient was finally accepted for definitive treatment at approximately 01:00 but in an unstable condition.
This incident highlights a deeply concerning and ongoing crisis within emergency and trauma healthcare systems in Gauteng. Critically injured patients cannot be safely managed for prolonged periods inside ambulances while hospitals remain unable to accommodate emergency admissions due to overcrowding, resource shortages, or infrastructure limitations, no air support to transport patients to Johannesburg Trauma Units
While hospital staff and medical personnel continue to work tirelessly under extremely difficult circumstances, the lack of available beds, specialist resources, and operational equipment places both patients and emergency responders under severe pressure and significantly impacts patient outcomes.
Pretoria Volunteer Emergency Services urgently calls on the relevant health authorities and government departments to address these systemic failures as a matter of immediate priority. Emergency medical personnel should not be placed in situations where critically injured patients are left without access to definitive care for hours at a time.
We commend all responding emergency personnel, hospital staff, and supporting agencies who worked relentlessly throughout the night to keep the patient alive under exceptionally difficult circumstances.
PVES Sponsors Ecomed Medical Zebra Medical and supported by IER Integrated Emergency Response and AURA SA