The lives of patients in and around Wentworth and Merebank and have been made significantly easier following the donation of a brand new ambulance by SAPREF to a community organisation involved in home-based care.
The custom fitted ambulance was donated to Wentworth Aids Action Group (WAAG), a community based organisation staffed by a group of volunteers. WAAG provides a range of supportive services to persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.
Often when the volunteers visit a patient they discover that the patient is too ill and needs to be transported to hospital. The new ambulance will make this easier as in the past the volunteers would flag down any passing vehicle and plead with the driver to transport the patient. Said Mrs Irene Steinbank, a director at WAAG: “This was not ideal. It was uncomfortable for the patient and the volunteers. With the new ambulance we have a vehicle that is designed for convenience and for the comfort of the patients.”
The R380 000 ambulance was converted from a panel van into a state-of the art ambulance complete with self-folding stretcher, oxygen regulator, oxygen stand, medical storage cupboards emergency lights and siren.
Paying tribute to the WAAG volunteers, SAPREF MD Bart Voet said their work was making a real difference to those in need. “We are happy to play a small role in making your work a bit easier and the patients a bit comfortable,” he concluded.