Gauteng Health Department tackles ambulance shortage problem
JOBURG – Private and public sectors have agreed to collaborate when there is a need for ambulances.
City of Joburg is one of the municipalities in the Gauteng Province affected by shortages of ambulances in the emergency sector.
Joburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed the City was faced by a shortage of ambulances. “To improve the services we render, we have added about 20 new ambulances to the tune of R24 million last year August so that we can address some of these shortages we have throughout the City,” he said.
Mulaudzi said the fire trucks were used when ambulances were busy with another call to effectively respond.
“We dispatch a fire truck to stabilise the patient and the ambulance can come and pick up the patient to the nearest health care facility,” he said.
Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the department was engaged in an aggressive procurement plan as echoed by the MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, during the 2015 budget speech on 19 June.
“As per commitment from our budget, funding for the current financial year, 2015/16, covers at least 160 emergency service vehicles. The process involves both replacement of the ageing fleet and also increasing the fleet to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for services within the Gauteng Health Department,” he said.
He explained that the private and public sectors have agreed to collaborate when there is a need for ambulances. “We are also engaging service providers on tenders to procure a comprehensive Emergency Communication Centre solution, which encompasses tracking of all ambulances – to enhance efficiency and management of resources among others,” he said.
According to Mabona, the department was simultaneously engaged with the service providers to enter into a service level agreement outside the contract to improve turnaround times and general vehicle availability.
He added that the private sectors were assisting at the accident scenes and other emergencies.
Netcare 911 Inland and Aeromedical Operations general manager Shalen Ramduth said their ambulances were attending to anyone who was in need of emergency medical assistance.
“In the event of an emergency, all emergency medical service providers work together to get the patients the help they need,” he said.
Details: Gauteng Department of Health 011 355 3469 Netcare 911 011 469 3016.
