The extended hours for emergency services at Heideveld Community Day Centre (CDC) Room 8 will stop from Sunday April 22.
Patients from Hanover Park had been diverted to the clinic’s Room 8 but the provincial Department of Health says they service was rarely being used.
Patients are urged to visit clinics during operational hours and only attend hospital level emergency services for major emergencies which may be life-threatening.
All patients who do access the Heideveld Emergency Centre after hours will be triaged according to the South African Triage Scale (SATS). This scoring tool is a method used to assess the urgency of problem and guides health care professionals on how to prioritise cases. Patients are graded according to the colour code measured from the SATS tool, which indicates the seriousness of the illness or injury:
Red: Patients with major trauma or serious medical emergencies. They are usually attended to immediately.
Orange: Less serious cases, but also considered urgent.
Yellow: Not life-threatening and will be attended to as soon as possible.
Green: Generally, not serious and can wait longer. The health care provider will assist with redirection.
