Calls for assessment of emergency services

Democratic Alliance Ugu Constituency Head Edwin Baptie has called on KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane to urgently conduct an oversight inspection into the readiness of the state-run Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ahead of the festive season.

Baptie who is the DA KZN spokesperson on health said the inspection should focus on EMS vehicles, equipment, stocks and staff capacity.

He explained that the appeal comes as accidents continue to wreak havoc and carnage on our roads as we head towards extremely high traffic volumes from the beginning of December.

“Of particular concern are the roads in and around the busy eThekwini Metro and the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg where construction remains ongoing. The delays on this road are a direct result of the ANC’s anti-Midas touch and regrettably, the N3 gauntlet is set to be around for years – or at least until a new government is elected. In the interim, thousands of road users on this route must rely on a flagging state-owned EMS – one that shows no sign of recovery and which is drifting further from the targets set to meet the needs of the ANC’s National Health Insurance (NHI) pipe dream,” he said.

Baptie added: “It is this very decline that drives the growth in private ambulance services that are fast taking over what the state is not capable of doing. What this situation does demonstrate is that a private/public partnership between these services is more likely to meet growing healthcare demands than the ANC’s centralised risk-riddled approach NHI proposal.”

He said the DA expects Simelane and the Transport MEC Sipho Hlomuka to acknowledge their call along with the need to properly plan in order to deliver prompt and efficient services.

“KZN’s people deserve an EMS that is well-equipped and competent and which has traffic management assistance to get in and out of accident scenes with the minimum of delay,” said Baptie

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