The Mohale family went through a series of nightmarish events after midnight on Monday, when they made an emergency call for an ambulance for their ailing 76-year-old grandmother.
In the three long hours of agony, the rude personnel at the ambulance control centre refused to dispatch an ambulance closer to the home of the sick woman. Their relative had to walk about two and a half kilometres in the dark. He had to wait for an hour for the ambulance at the taxi rank and, on his way back home, he was almost robbed of his cell phone.
The woman, who was suffering from shortness of breath, sadly, passed away in Potchefstroom Hospital later that day.
According to her son, Itumeleng Mohale (48), his cousin called for an ambulance after midnight. The personnel at the control room refused to dispatch an ambulance beyond Rejoy creche in First Avenue.
‘They insisted that he must go to Ext. 7 taxi rank, which is about two and a half kilometres away.
‘There was no electricity in the area and he had to walk to the rank in the dark. On his way back home, two men attacked him and wanted to rob him. Fortunately, he was able to defend himself.’
The ambulance arrived at the corner of Moloantoa and First Avenue at about 03:00. This was the same street that the person at the control room initially refused to dispatch the ambulance to,’ he said.
Itumeleng is furious and wants to know why, when the police are called out, they can go directly to the given address but the ambulance personnel refuse. ‘Maybe they don’t know how to read street names or follow directions,’ he said.
*At the time of print, there was still no response from the NW Department of Health.
