State ambulance services in the Eastern Cape are in a critical condition as only 180 of its fleet of 416 are operational to cater for the province’s 6.5-million population.
Of the 180 working ambulances, only 58 have 4x4 capabilities to be driven into the rural areas of the province where 62% of the population live.
The current fleet of 180 ambulances dismally fails to meet the department of health’s national standards of one ambulance to 10000 people. In the Eastern Cape the ratio is more than double that.
The remaining ambulances are either in for repairs or can not not be used due to staff shortages.
In reference to the national standard, with its 416 fleet the province would need to employ at least 4160 ambulance personnel, but the provincial department indicated it only had 2224 paramedics.
The shocking details are contained in a report by the SA Human Rights Commission into Access to Emergency Medical Services in the Eastern Cape, released yesterday in Johannesburg.
The report follows public hearings the SAHRC held in areas like OR Tambo district, Alfred Nzo, Buffalo City Metro and Butterworth in 2013.
The report said the province needed at least 240 operational ambulances to meet national standards. The Eastern Cape meets only 30% of its target.
The report also highlighted lack of training by paramedics who could not perform basic tasks when attending to emergency calls.
This limited knowledge often affected decisions to transport patients to specialised facilities.
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said they had this year employed 320 paramedics and received 78 new ambulances and built several health centres in the rural areas. — sifilel@sowetan.co.za
Eastern Cape ambulances in dire straits
Of the 180 working ambulances, only 58 have 4x4 capabilities to be driven into the rural areas of the province where 62% of the population live.
The current fleet of 180 ambulances dismally fails to meet the department of health’s national standards of one ambulance to 10000 people. In the Eastern Cape the ratio is more than double that.
The remaining ambulances are either in for repairs or can not not be used due to staff shortages.
In reference to the national standard, with its 416 fleet the province would need to employ at least 4160 ambulance personnel, but the provincial department indicated it only had 2224 paramedics.
The shocking details are contained in a report by the SA Human Rights Commission into Access to Emergency Medical Services in the Eastern Cape, released yesterday in Johannesburg.
The report follows public hearings the SAHRC held in areas like OR Tambo district, Alfred Nzo, Buffalo City Metro and Butterworth in 2013.
The report said the province needed at least 240 operational ambulances to meet national standards. The Eastern Cape meets only 30% of its target.
The report also highlighted lack of training by paramedics who could not perform basic tasks when attending to emergency calls.
This limited knowledge often affected decisions to transport patients to specialised facilities.
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said they had this year employed 320 paramedics and received 78 new ambulances and built several health centres in the rural areas. — sifilel@sowetan.co.za
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