Call an ambulance or lodge a complaint on these mobile apps

No more hassles to call an ambulance in the Free State for patients without medical aid. You can now request the provincial ambulance service with the user friendly mobile App called Bophelo. The App enables you to directly register your incident, receive immediate confirmation that your incident is registered, also receive a reference number, get status updates, and even interact telephonically with dispatch officers.

If you don’t have a smartphone use USSD*134*1234#. A call centre agent will then call you back with a 087 number to register your call. The App can be downloaded free from the Google Play Store or App Store.

The App also allows you to:
* Report unethical behaviour by health staff such as fraud and corruption.
* Find health facilities near you.
* Access useful contact numbers such as health facility management.
* Receive important news and alerts from the Free State Department of Health.

According to the Free State Health Department, the motivation for the App is to strengthen patient-care experience across the province. The App forms part of the broader modernisation of the provincial Emergency Medical Services call centre capabilities.
The Department of Health also launched a new Complaints App. When you have a complaint the process to follow is to first lodge the complaint at the public health facility where service was received. If your complaint has not been addressed, you can lodge your complaint on the Department of Health’s Facility Complaints mobile App. When logging your complaint on the App, you can track the progress and you will receive acknowledgement within five working days.

The Department assured that complaints will be investigated and redress (feedback) will be given within 25 working days. Should the complaint require longer time to resolve, the complainant will be informed via the contact detail provided on the App.