Nearly half of the entire fleet of KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health ambulances is sitting in workshops awaiting repairs, with diagnostic delays, inflated parts replacement costs and a general lack of urgency from the contracted service provider being highlighted in a report to the Health Portfolio Committee.
The Mercury reports that 224 of the fleet of 449 ambulances are out of service in a department that is frequently criticised for tardy response times, or non-arrival in emergencies.
However, in detailing its challenges to the committee, the department attributed much of the blame to the fleet contractor, alluding to inferior repair work, lazy and unqualified inspectors, inflated parts pricing, and some shady mechanics, amid other complaints.
A service provider appointed by the National Treasury manages the government fleet countrywide, and in the event of a breakdown or accident, has to then begin the process of assessing the damage, getting quotes, and approving the necessary work.
But the department complained that this process can sometimes take up to a month. The service provider also manages assets like petrol cards.
In the report, the department said it had encountered significant challenges relating to the service provider’s performance, and last year, had contacted the Treasury saying concerns about the contractor were not being addressed.
In some instances, the service provider’s inspectors did assessments purely through visual inspection, without using any diagnostic tools. “This leads to inaccurate evaluations, and then additional quotation requests from dealerships – ultimately prolonging vehicle downtime,” said the report.
In some cases, vehicles have had to be returned to dealerships for remedial work because of substandard repairs.
The report said the service provider had “repeatedly demonstrated a failure to appreciate the urgency and critical nature of the department’s mandate”.
Since taking over the contract, it had frequently sent vehicles to “small merchants lacking the required technical expertise”.
“As a result, some vehicles have been tampered with, leading to deterioration and frequent parts replacement. Vehicles sent for minor repairs are sometimes returned with additional or recurring defects, and in some cases, parts even appear to have been removed, misappropriated, or replaced with old or aftermarket components,” the report added.
Other problems include inadequate quality checks by inspectors to verify their suitability and compliance. Other serious concerns have emerged regarding prima facie fraudulent activities, particularly relating to fuel and toll transactions.
“Significant discrepancies have been observed between benchmarked prices and actual charges for parts and services, in some instances exceeding 400%. For example, a battery replacement that normally costs about R2 500 is quoted with a labour cost exceeding R3 500, bringing the total to more than R6 000 for a simple replacement.
“The Service Level Agreement requires service providers to negotiate pricing with dealers and merchants; however, this has not occurred,” it stated.
The Mercury article – Almost half of KZN Health's ambulances are waiting for repairs (Open access)
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