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.

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.

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