Emergency team races through wet streets to save life
The emergency team sped through the streets of Pretoria on 24 April in a specially equipped, sponsored Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max, provided by Chery Centurion, to deliver a neurosurgeon to her bedside in record time.
'This is one of those calls that reminds you why you chose this path,' said Xander Loubser of Best Care EMS, reflecting on the intense but miraculous night. 'There was no room for hesitation. Two lives were at stake.'
The woman required emergency neurosurgery to remove a brain clot.
With a GPS estimate of 40 minutes to the hospital, the odds were daunting but the team arrived in just 18, navigating rain-slicked roads from the Moot to a hospital in Pretoria East, traffic, and intersections with sirens blaring.
'God guided us through the streets,' Loubser said. 'By His grace alone, the mother and baby are alive today.'
The operation was part of an initiative involving Best Care EMS, CrisisOnCall, and Chery Centurion, using specially equipped vehicles to support critical medical emergencies.
'The question today is one that everyone is asking: 'How are the mom and baby from yesterday?' I'm relieved and grateful to say that a healthy 3.3kg baby has been born, and the mother's procedure went well. The thrombectomy was successful, and this morning she met her new-born for the first time. Her limbs are functioning well, and she's aware of her surroundings.'
Loubser pointed out that he stands in awe of God's grace.
'Well done to the surgical team. Many have thanked us, but we were merely one part of a larger instrument. We will meet the mother and her family soon. I think they'll be overwhelmed and thankful for everyone's prayers.'
The story has captured the hearts of many, highlighting the importance of fast action, faith, and community.
'This mission was a privilege and an honour,' added Ruan Vermaak, spokesperson for CrisisOnCall. 'Moments like these remind us why we do what we do: to serve, to save, and to make a real difference. Thanks to incredible teamwork and divine grace, two precious lives were saved.'
Click here to see video of the drive:
https://www.facebook.com/xander.loubser/videos/2406929596337571
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
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Daily Maverick
27-06-2025
- Daily Maverick
Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu: Diabetes is on the march, ushering in death like a thief in the night
Ah, Chief Dwasaho. I had hoped, perhaps naïvely, that a ceasefire to end the Israel-American war on Iran might lift my spirits, but it seems I remain a child of a lesser God. While the world held its breath following Iran's reciprocal attack on the American military base in Qatar, I found myself wrestling anew with my own silent killer, type 2 diabetes — one I had thought was buried for good beneath tablets and self-injections. Before the Israel-US-Iran skirmishes, I had already made a poor judgement call. I accepted Novo Nordisk's courtesy to attend the 85th American Diabetes Association (ADA) Congress, which concluded this past Monday in Chicago, US. I should have known better. The word 'diabetes' still sends a shiver down my spine. Twelve years of sweat, blood and tears have passed since I first heard that diagnosis. The years have blurred into struggle, yet hope persists, fragile as the fleeting peace we celebrate in far-off lands, uncertain how long it will last. I am lying, my leader; I was hoping that the science boffins at the ADA would announce a breakthrough for a cure that will improve my blood glucose without my having to lift a finger. I have tried better diets and newer drug regimens, and now I find myself among the ranks of those who rely on injectables. The nightmare worsens with each fasting glucose test. Let the facts speak. Our local figures show that non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, are now a leading cause of death and disability in the country, and their burden is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to the Department of Health's 2023/24 Annual Report, non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and mental health disorders have increased by 58.7% between 2002 and 2022. Sadly, diabetes has now overtaken tuberculosis (TB) as the leading cause of death among non-communicable diseases. At a 2024 World Diabetes Day event, Dr Zaheer Bayat from Helen Joseph Hospital raised the alarm. Bayat said South Africa's growing obesity epidemic was fuelling type 2 diabetes, now increasingly diagnosed in children and young adults. There were at least 5.6 million people with diabetes in South Africa in 2019, according to advisory firm Percept. That number was projected to rise to 5.7 million by 2025 and to 7.2 million by 2030. Stubborn digits The numbers, those stubborn digits that know neither spin doctor nor party whip, do not lie. We are bleeding silently, internally and nationally. The sugar monster, better known by its formal name, diabetes mellitus, is no longer content with its rank as a lifestyle disease. It has launched a full-blown missile attack on our health system and our households. It is now a national emergency, stalking us in rural clinics and urban e-hailing taxis alike. Once upon a time, we held nightly vigils for HIV and tuberculosis. Now, as the clocks of modernity tick on, diabetes tightens its grip, especially in our rural hamlets where the old enemies once reigned supreme. In these forgotten corners of the republic, a new horror dawns: poorly managed diabetes now trumps HIV and TB in its cruelty, ushering in death like a thief in a night clinic. I know this not from theory, my leader, but from the red soil of my own family. My beloved mother, MaMlambo, who had a warm embrace and an iron will, lost her fight against Covid-19. But it was diabetes that signed her death certificate. A year later, my middle brother followed. He lived in Ulundi, a place where health services are as scarce as ANC renewal. Fifty years young, armed only with faith and insulin, he too succumbed to the silent killer. His children were double orphaned, their mother long claimed by the pandemic of HIV/Aids and poverty — a lethal cocktail. I fear the very word, my leader, diabetes. I do not whisper it; I wince. For me, the battlefield is not some sterile clinic with motivational posters and lukewarm nurses. It is the blood test queue, the quarterly HbA1c verdict, and the trembling hand reaching for a glucometer. That number, calculated over 90 bitter days, is both my confessor and executioner. It tells me what the doctors won't: that I am losing ground. Once, I held the line. My glucose levels were stable. I marched to the beat of clean eating and regular medical check-ups. Then came Covid-19 twice. Each wave carved a little more of me away. The sugars spiked. Early this year, pneumonia arrived like an uninvited third cousin. The steroid treatment, my lifesaver, became the sugar saboteur. And so, I joined the ranks of the injectables. But let us not pretend the enemy arrived with the pandemic. No, diabetes had long danced in my bloodstream, chuckling as I downed beers in smoky taverns. What I called me-time was, in fact, a slow suicide. I drove while low on sugar, thinking I was only tipsy. I crashed into a gate in Sunnyside, barely avoiding the wrath of a mob thanks to a security guard who knew the signs. He had seen this sugar demon before, in his own brother's eyes. Years before that, I blacked out at the wheel and took out an electricity pole. Darkness descended on the neighbourhood, but it was the light of truth that hit me hardest: I had to stop drinking and driving. Four years clean now, 12 months without a car, but still I fight for control of this body. Medical A-team This is despite having a medical A-team, including a GP, endocrinologist, dietician, and private medical aid; I remain a man under siege. Diabetes is a cunning general. You never win. You negotiate, you stall, you beg. It requires 'unconditional surrender' to its management routine. My leader, this is not a lifestyle issue. This is war. Thus, we must do more than count corpses and preach wellness from podiums. We must fight for newer medicine that lasts the month, clinics that open on weekends, and nurses who do not yawn through their shifts. We need political will, not wellness seminars. Unfortunately, the war is here. It is in my blood. It is scorching our land. Let me tell you, my leader, there is hope, though. The science community is united in fighting diabetes and its twin evil, obesity. This week at the ADA Congress, Novo Nordisk, the Danish healthcare giant, released fresh results from the Step-Up trial in Chicago. The trial, led by Novo Nordisk and international researchers, tested a higher dose of semaglutide — the active ingredient in the weight loss drugs Wegovy and the type 2 diabetes injectable Ozempic — on people living with obesity but without diabetes. The results show that this 7.2 milligramme dose delivered an average weight loss of 21% over 72 weeks, with a third of participants shedding at least 25% of their body weight. The safety profile remained consistent with that of previous semaglutide trials, with most side-effects being mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues that resolved over time. The Danish firm now plans to file for a label update in the European Union and other markets where Wegovy is approved. I have asked: When is South Africa's turn? Soon. I am told. Why is the scientific community so fixated on obesity, you ask? The answer lies in the complex relationship between health and suffering that links obesity to diabetes. Scientists aren't merely chasing accolades or enriching their pockets through suffering; they are pursuing the root cause of the diabetes epidemic. The link between obesity and this deadly disease is the scientific gospel. The results released this week serve as a stark reminder that, in the battle against diabetes, the war must be fought first on the battlefield of obesity. Novo Nordisk is not just selling a drug; it is offering hope, a lifeline to those drowning in the flood of excess weight and its deadly consequence, uncontrolled diabetes, like me. Instead of hosting dialogues and unveiling the Eminent Persons Group, we should focus on reforming the healthcare system and working closely with scientists to fast-track the introduction of new, life-saving drugs into our public health system. If not for me, please do it for MaMlambo, a faith healer who gave of herself to save humanity and 5.6 million people facing death daily. Till next week, my man — send me to a clinical trial near me. DM
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- The Citizen
Public ambulance delays threaten lives in Pretoria
People's lives are at risk as communities across South Africa have to wait dangerously long for public ambulances to respond. Reports highlight that public ambulance services in South Africa, including Pretoria, may experience delays ranging from 30 minutes to over two hours, particularly during peak hours or in areas with resource constraints. Spokesperson for CrisisOnCall, Ruan Vermaak, underscored the crisis: 'Ambulance shortages and a lack of advanced life support paramedics contribute to slower response times, potentially delaying or even compromising patient outcomes.' Internal call data from his company underscores this grim reality, revealing frequent delays even in critical cases like strokes and heart attacks. 'Our data clearly shows that people in certain regions simply do not get timely access to help,' said Vermaak. 'Especially in rural areas, the situation is reaching crisis proportions.' A stark contrast exists between state and private emergency services. Public ambulances suffer from vehicle shortages and staffing gaps, while well-equipped private and community-based teams are only accessible to those who can prearrange them. Vermaak observed that this is not just a logistical problem but a systemic one: inadequate resources, staffing shortages, and poor co-ordination place patients' lives at risk. Recent tragedies highlighted this plight, like the incident when a 26-year-old in Kimberley died in October 2024 after waiting 30 minutes for a public ambulance. 'These are not unique incidents,' Vermaak warned. 'We cannot wait until someone dies before we acknowledge the problem.' He said public-private partnerships that let services and well-trained volunteers work together to provide ambulance services are an option to overcome the problem, as well as community-led emergency preparations, including private subscriptions, safety apps, and volunteer networks. Vermaak believes that effective, privately facilitated emergency assistance at a scene is possible when partners mobilise their resources to save lives. 'In our case, a vehicle manned by experienced paramedics with the necessary emergency equipment provides free assistance to communities in need. We fully support such community initiatives,' he said. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- The Citizen
Video: Emergency team races through Pretoria's wet streets to save pregnant woman's life
In a gripping race against time, the lives of a pregnant woman and that of her unborn child were saved through the coordinated efforts of Best Care Emergency Medical Services, CrisisOnCall, and #WithCheryWithLove. The emergency team sped through the streets of Pretoria on yesterday in a specially equipped vehicle provided by Chery Centurion, to deliver a neurosurgeon to her bedside in record time. No hesitation when lives are at stake 'This is one of those calls that reminds you why you chose this path,' said Xander Loubser of Best Care EMS, reflecting on the intense but miraculous night. 'There was no room for hesitation. Two lives were at stake.' The woman required emergency neurosurgery to remove a brain clot. Record time to the hospital With a GPS estimate of 40 minutes to the hospital, the odds were daunting, but the team arrived in just 18 minutes, navigating rain-slicked roads, traffic and intersections from the Moot to a hospital in Pretoria East, with sirens blaring. 'God guided us through the streets,' Loubser said. 'By His grace alone, the mother and baby are alive today.' The operation was part of an initiative involving the use of specially equipped vehicles to support critical medical emergencies. Watch a video of the team speeding through the streets here, A healthy baby was born 'Everyone is asking 'How are the mom and baby from yesterday?' and I'm relieved and grateful to say that a healthy 3.3kg baby has been born, and the mother's procedure went well. The thrombectomy was successful, and this morning she met her newborn for the first time. Her limbs are functioning well, and she's aware of her surroundings,' said Loubser. Loubser pointed out that he stands in awe of God's grace. 'Well done to the surgical team. Many have thanked us, but we were merely one part of a larger instrument. We will meet the mother and her family soon. I think they'll be overwhelmed and thankful for everyone's prayers.' The story has captured the hearts of many, highlighting the importance of fast action, faith, and community. 'This mission was a privilege and an honour,' added Ruan Vermaak, spokesperson for CrisisOnCall. 'Moments like these remind us why we do what we do: to serve, to save, and to make a real difference. Thanks to incredible teamwork and divine grace, two precious lives were saved.' Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
