Netcare 911 wins Gold EMS Angels Award for emergency stroke care

Netcare 911 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa has won a gold award in the World Stroke Organisation’s (WSO) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Angels Awards.

“Ensuring quality standards in pre-hospital care is an essential component of stroke management for improving survival rates and quality of life outcomes,” said Zasskia Wiese Netcare’s National Stroke Programme Coordinator. “We congratulate the Netcare 911 KwaZulu-Natal team for leading the way in EMS care for stroke patients and consistently reporting stroke data to the international RES-Q quality of stroke care registry, as this gold EMS Angels Award recognises.”

Gary Paul, Head of Netcare 911’s coastal operations, explained public awareness of the signs of stroke as a medical emergency is the first step towards improving outcomes for South Africans affected by strokes.

“There is a simple way to remember how to recognise a stroke and what to do: BE FAST,” he said.

“B is for Balance: difficulty in maintaining balance

E is for Eyes: changes in vision

F is for Face drooping

A is for Arm weakness

S is for Speech: difficulty talking

T is for Time to get help immediately – every second counts.”

Paul added: “Being acknowledged with this first EMS Angels Award for South Africa means a great deal to us, and we would like to thank every member of the team for their role in earning this accolade.

“We are most grateful to the management of Netcare 911 and the Netcare Group for prioritising stroke systems and expertise, encompassing both pre-hospital and in-hospital care working hand in glove for the benefit of our patients.”

In a medical emergency, including suspected strokes, Netcare 911 operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, on 082 911 and via its app.