M1 bridge collapse survivors treated at Netcare Milpark Hospital
A number of people injured when a temporary bridge collapsed
A number of people who were injured when a temporary bridge collapsed onto the M1 highway in Sandton on Wednesday, 14 October 2015, were admitted to the level 1 trauma unit at Netcare Milpark Hospital for treatment, the hospital’s general manager, Anton Gillis, confirmed today. He added that a number of those treated were also admitted to other healthcare facilities.
“We were approached with a number of requests from the media for information about the survivors who were admitted to Netcare Milpark Hospital and for interviews with them or their families. We conveyed these requests, however they have chosen not to engage the media and it would therefore be inappropriate for us to pursue such enquiries further,” Gillis explains.
“As such, we must respectfully ask the media to afford the patients in our care the time and privacy they need to recuperate. Netcare Milpark Hospital cannot provide any updates on patients’ conditions in terms of the strict confidentiality policy we have in place to protect their right to privacy.”
“I can give my personal assurance, however, that they will receive the best possible care at Netcare Milpark Hospital, which is accredited as a level one trauma centre by the Trauma Society of South Africa.”
Gillis and Mande Toubkin, general manager: emergency, trauma, transplant and corporate social investment at Netcare, extended their thanks to Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau for the immense support received from him and his executive team following yesterday’s tragic bridge collapse.
“We are honoured to be working alongside Mayor Tau and his team in assisting the survivors. We also wish to extend our appreciation to all the men and women of the public and private emergency services (EMS), including our own Netcare 911 emergency medical services staff, for their selfless work and dedication under dangerous and difficult circumstances,” Toubkin concluded.
Gillis and Toubkin expressed sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who succumbed in the tragedy on behalf of the staff, management and healthcare professionals at Netcare and Netcare 911.
Ends
Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare Foundation
Contact : Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney or Meggan Saville
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]