https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / Statements RSS ← Back
Financial|Health|Power|Repairs|Service|Services|Storage|System|transport|Equipment
Financial|Health|Power|Repairs|Service|Services|Storage|System|transport|Equipment
financial|health|power|repairs|service|services|storage|system|transport|equipment
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Article Enquiry

DA: Emergency services in NC reach rock bottom after 25 years of mismanagement

Close

Embed Video

DA: Emergency services in NC reach rock bottom after 25 years of mismanagement

DA: Emergency services in NC reach rock bottom after 25 years of mismanagement

15th April 2019

ARTICLE ENQUIRY      SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

Font size: -+

/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Sick people in the Northern Cape have been failed by the uncaring ANC government, often paying with their lives for the terrible state of emergency services in the province.

The ailing ambulance fleet has again been thrown into the spotlight with reports that there are only two ambulances available to service the whole of Galeshewe in Kimberley.  This is disturbing but not surprising.

Advertisement

The state of the province’s ambulance fleet has been on a roller coaster ride for the past 25 years and has now reached the final downward spiral that will see it hit an all time low.

This time last year, it was reported that the Emergency Medical Services were operating with 70 emergency vehicles, which translates into only 38% of the required fleet.  This situation has since regressed even further, given the dire financial state of the department, which is hampering ambulance repairs and the renewal of licenses, to ensure that vehicles are operational.

Advertisement

In effect, there have been countless reports detailing this failing service.

Last year, a newborn baby in De Aar died because there was no ambulance available to transport the baby and his mother to hospital. Earlier this year, a young woman gave birth to a baby in a taxi in Upington because the emergency services never responded to her emergency call. A patient suffering from a serious case of gangrene, could also not be transported to Springbok hospital, and had to rely on a DA MPL to get him there.  A four-year-old boy from Alexanderbaai could also not be transported to the nearest hospital for medical attention after he broke his arm. The list goes on and on.

This is what 84% of the Northern Cape population, or approximately 959 000 people in the Northern Cape, who are dependent on government health care, must endure. This is unacceptable.

Last year, it was reported that 50 vehicles, including two ambulances, all of which are said to belong to the health department, were gathering dust in the government garage. It was also reported that the department has been paying R8,6 million a year the storage of decommissioned ambulances.

It is clear that the Health Department is more intent on ensuring contracts for friends with storage businesses than it is about ensuring that:  the Northern Cape has a reliable ambulance fleet; they have life saving equipment on all board ambulances; they eradicate the still prevalent single crew ambulance system; and they procure new uniforms for EMS workers, since the last such order was placed way back in 2015.

A total of 25 years under the failing ANC has been detrimental to everyone’s health.

Another five years with them in power, will cause health services to flatline. The only way to resuscitate health care and all other services, is to hold the failing ANC accountable and vote them out.

Only change under a DA-led government will ensure that all citizens receive proper healthcare and that the emergency fleet is adequately maintained, unlike the broken ANC that can never be repaired and must be written off at the ballot box come the 8th of May.

 

Issued by The DA

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE ENQUIRY

To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comment Guidelines

 

About

Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Engineering News
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa

Read more

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options
Free daily email newsletter Register Now