As many as a third of the Eastern Cape’s state ambulance fleet are in for repairs, at a time when COVID-19 numbers in the province are soaring and trauma-related cases are expected to peak over the festive season, reports the Daily Despatch.
The provincial health department has admitted that 135 of the available 447 ambulances are in for repairs, though the transport department puts this number at 60.
Mzamane Mgontashe, a regional co-ordinator of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), said most ambulances were kept at Eastern Cape Motors, Nissan and Isuzu in East London and King William’s Town. The situation was compounded by a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for EMS workers, he said. “
Nehawu Eastern Cape secretary Mickey Jaceni said the union had tried on two occasions to meet health MEC Sindiswa Gomba to discuss the ambulance shortage. “I think this is the third time we have tried to meet the MEC to discuss a number of issues including the shortage of ambulances. The MEC does not give us a straight answer. She agrees to our meetings and then cancels at the last minute.”
An inquiry was sent to Gomba’s spokesperson Judy Ngoloyi, but she had not responded at the time of writing, the Daily Despatch wrote.
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Siyanda Manana confirmed that the department had 447 ambulances in the province and 135 were in for repairs. He said in the case of ambulances damaged in severe accidents, the average waiting time for it to be returned to service was three months.
“There are 30 relief ambulances to replace vehicles that break down. There’s a further 112 ambulances that can be used as a contingency. And there’s about 90 replacement ambulances being finalised for release in the festive season,” Manana said.
The figures released by the health department are odds with those of the provincial transport department, which says there are only 60 ambulances in for repairs.
Provincial department of transport spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie said its ambulance fleet replacement plan way under way and on track, she said. As part of the plan, 133 ambulances had been ordered by the department and were being converted by Volkswagen SA.
“Forty of the ambulances are in the process of being delivered. Of the 40, eight are at NTT in East London for predelivery inspection, while another eight are on the way to East London. Thirty-two vehicles are at our garage in East London for registration, licensing, branding and fitting of all outside gadgets such as lights, sirens and e-fuel mechanisms.” Rantjie said 27 of those would be handed to the health department within the next week.
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