Disasters Outside of World Cup Areas Could Take Harder Toll

World Cup disaster preparedness and personnel allocation could leave non-World Cup areas high and dry during the Cup.

We have not seen the cities’ disaster management plans, but it is almost guaranteed cities will place the majority of their emergency personnel in and around the designated sporting venues. In addition, most of the equipment, such as emergency motor vehicles, will also be deployed there.

This means few resources would be available to be deployed if any non-soccer World Cup emergencies were to occur. Therefore ordinary citizens’ access to emergency services is likely to be drastically curtailed for the duration of the soccer spectacular.

Fewer emergency resources for SA public during Cup
The Herald
May 6, 2010

SA Hospitals Ill-Equipped to Handle Major Disaster

A FIFA medical adviser has warned that South Africa's public hospitals are "completely unprepared" to handle a major World Cup-related disaster such as a crowd stampede or riot.

"Hospital disaster plans are actually a disaster," said Professor Efraim Kramer, a Fifa medical officer and adviser to the local organising committee.

Kramer, head of emergency medicine at Johannesburg's Witwatersrand University, told a doctors conference on Wednesday that public hospitals had "absolutely no idea" how to implement disaster management plans because they had not been tested.

In contrast, Kramer said private hospitals, some of the best in the world, were better prepared and had good disaster plans. The South African government says public hospitals would handle at least 70 percent of the World Cup workload.

'Hospitals not ready for WC disaster'
Reuters
April 15, 2010

Durban Hospitals OK'd to Handle World Cup Crowds

Hospitals and health care facilities in Durban have been given the seal of approval from parliamentary committees for their readiness ahead of the World Cup.

"From the presentations we heard, the level of integration and co-operation within the government levels and the advancement of the preparations, we are sincerely satisfied," health portfolio committee chairman Dr Bevani Goqwana said in a statement.

Durban hospital ready for World Cup visitors
Independent Online
April 12, 2010

Government Plea to Unions: Don't Use 2010 as Leverage

Government officials are appealing to trade unions to resist the urge to use the World Cup as leverage should there be a strike within the health sector.

Trade unions, government as the employer and the Public Sector Bargaining Council will sit down to deliberate on how to improve service delivery in South Africa, he said.

Top government officials, including the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Zweli Mkhize, stressed the importance of efficient and effective performances by public servants.

He said the people of South Africa deserved improvement in their lives after choosing to fight against the apartheid system, adding that a few public servants should not taint the overall image of government.

South Africa: Govt Urges Unions Not to Use 2010 As Leverage
Bua News
March 14, 2010