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The Department of Health and Wellness has revealed that approximately a quarter of the emergency centre headcounts are a result of trauma cases, of which around 9.4% is due to interpersonal violence.

With 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children beginning next week Friday, this figure highlights the rampant brutality which continues to exist in our communities and the need for us to do more to quell it.

The data in question is sourced from the recently launched Safety Dashboard, otherwise known as HECTIS, which is based on data originating from 37 emergency centres.

Not only does this system track the incidents recorded at hospitals, but it also integrates data from crime incident reporting and prosecutions. All in all, this is yet another innovative step taken by our province.

This dashboard has a strong foundation in the steps taken by the Department earlier this year with the creation of the Violence Prevention Unit. By making use of the data collected, we are able to create policy specifically aimed to reducing crime in a specific geographical area when working with cross-sectional teams.

We already see this in action with the Area-Based Teams in the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, which adds to our whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.

As the DA, these developments could not be more important. Crime has a significant impact on our health care facilities as they are the first respondents to all societal ills experienced in our community.

Let us work even closer together during the upcoming 16 Days of Activism so that we spend 365 days every year ensuring the safety of our residents.

Issued by Wendy Kaizer-Philander, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Health