Nearly three years after Gauteng’s emergency medical services (EMS) were provincialised and taken over by the Gauteng Provincial Health Department, Ekurhuleni residents continue to face significant delays in ambulance response times, particularly in informal settlements.
Residents have reported waiting hours for ambulances to arrive, with some instances where ambulances never show up.
Fikile Sithole, a resident, shared the challenges faced by those in informal settlements.
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“We suffer in the informal settlement.
We have to carry our sick to the closest point for collection and sometimes we are not even sure if the ambulance is going to come.
“We sometimes end up hiring transport, fearing the sick will die while waiting for an ambulance.”
An Ekurhuleni emergency services official revealed the frustrations experienced by EMS personnel and the community.
“We are not allowed to help even though we are qualified. Since the acquisition of the City’s EMS, we are not allowed to assist,” the source said.
Adding to the frustration, the city’s fleet of ambulances and response vehicles remain parked at various fire stations, unused.
These vehicles, procured while the city still managed EMS before the service’s provincialisation in July 2020, are now gathering dust, representing a significant waste of resources and funds.
These ambulances were intended to meet the high demand for services across Ekurhuleni communities.
Former advanced life support officers, who previously performed dual roles in fire, rescue, and medical services, have now been reassigned to firefighting duties.
Despite being first on the scene, metro personnel (paramedics and ambulances) are prohibited from assisting seriously ill patients, leaving them to wait for provincial EMS, which struggles to meet demand.
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The city’s licence to render emergency medical services was withdrawn as part of the provincialisation process.
Operating without this licence is considered a legal transgression.
Germiston City News reached out to the Gauteng Department of Health on July 3, inquiring about the rationale behind centralising the ambulance service and whether the department can meet current demands.
Additionally, questions were raised about the future of the idle ambulances.
While the department acknowledged the inquiry, no comment was provided by the time of publication.
