“We congratulate the Netcare 911 KwaZulu-Natal team for leading the way in emergency medical services [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,” she says.

Gary Paul, head of Netcare 911’s coastal operations, says 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 says:

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

“This is lifesaving awareness because stroke is extremely time sensitive. Our team has worked hard to keep response times and transit time to a stroke-ready facility as short as possible because lives hang in the balance,” Paul says.

“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,” he says.